TeachersFirst Online Learning

Online learning is an umbrella term that refers to any learning situated online rather than in a traditional classroom. As times have changed, online learning has become very common. There are many benefits to online learning: it allows educators to work from any location and time convenient for you (with most forms of online learning). You can also utilize online learning when weather or health crises arise. In addition, online learning can include synchronous lessons when all learners come together at a set time, asynchronous tasks which learners can complete as convenient to their schedules, online collaborative projects, and much more. This curated list includes resources for your online learning lessons, including tools to create online course materials, foster collaboration, and curate resources to share. 

For additional resources, explore these lists for tools related to Remote Learning, Collaboration, and Online Learning. 


 

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Curipod - Curipod AS

Grades
3 to 12
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Curipod creates interactive lessons using AI (artificial intelligence) technology. Tasks include features for making word clouds, adding polls, questions, and more. Visit the Discover...more
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Curipod creates interactive lessons using AI (artificial intelligence) technology. Tasks include features for making word clouds, adding polls, questions, and more. Visit the Discover link to browse through ready-to-use templates or create an account, then copy and edit a lesson using a template or build one in just a few seconds using your prompt and instructions. When creating a new lesson, start with a blank slide or use templates that include a brain break, exit ticket, multiple choice, or complete lesson. The brain break generators include several stress-free tasks, such as Would You Rather questions, and fun writing and drawing prompts. To create new tasks, add a topic and include standards if desired. Another option allows you to import PowerPoint presentations and PDFs when creating new activities. When ready, share lessons with students using the provided QR code or the join code for students to access at curi.live. View statistics in your dashboard, including the number of times played and player results. Free accounts currently include unlimited players, five private Curipods, a shared workspace, and all core features.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (216), assessment (134), blended learning (27), differentiation (77), Online Learning (32), remote learning (31), slides (41), social and emotional learning (114), Teacher Utilities (194), teaching strategies (52)

In the Classroom

Use Curipod as a starting point for creating lessons and student activities, then modify the content to fit your curriculum and students' abilities and needs. The Brain Break activities are an excellent starting point for using Curipod in your classroom. Select an activity from the Brain Break options, then choose a grade level and follow the prompts to share a short mental break with your students. Copy and paste standards when creating a lesson as a starting point to add content for the lesson. When using any AI technology, verify the information provided is accurate before sharing it with students. Use Curripod as a flipped or blended learning activity, share the join code with students, and ask them to complete the activities within a designated period before reviewing together as a class. Easily modify any template to differentiate instruction for different groups of students. For example, when introducing decimals, provide a basic introduction with vocabulary and instructional content to one group of students but add more challenging content, such as adding decimals for students already familiar with this topic. Coordinate with other teachers to create cross-curricular activities or when planning units together.

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iThrive Sim- Digital Simulation Games - ithrive games

Grades
9 to 12
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Engage and enhance students' civic and social-emotional learning (SEL) using simulations by iThrive Sim. The simulations are for high school students in social studies, history, and...more
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Engage and enhance students' civic and social-emotional learning (SEL) using simulations by iThrive Sim. The simulations are for high school students in social studies, history, and humanities classes. The digital simulations are designed to support student-driven learning, and the storyline is determined by the actions students take together. The page includes links to three learning scenarios where teachers can preview the game. Registration with a school email address is required to play. The resources on this site are designed for high school students.

tag(s): collaboration (80), flipped learning (4), game based learning (215), Online Learning (32), simulations (39), social and emotional learning (114)

In the Classroom

Teachers can find links to individual games, downloadable curricula for various video games, lesson plans, and teaching resources. These game simulations are designed to build skills in decision-making, understanding bias, compromise, advocacy, and collaboration among students. The games support face-to-face interaction and can also be adapted to the needs of online and hybrid learning environments.

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Floop - Floop Edu, Inc

Grades
5 to 12
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Use audio and text (and save valuable time) to provide teacher and peer feedback on any assignment with Floop's easy-to-use web tools. Students upload images, PDFs, or Google Docs from...more
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Use audio and text (and save valuable time) to provide teacher and peer feedback on any assignment with Floop's easy-to-use web tools. Students upload images, PDFs, or Google Docs from any device to your educator account. After creating a class, follow the directions to add an assignment and adjust settings. Options include uploading documents for student use, setting a due date and time, and adjusting permission settings for student feedback. Enroll students in your class by providing a join code or upload a CSV file to enroll students automatically. Provide feedback by clicking on any area of the student document to create a hotspot. Students find and click the hotspot to read and respond to feedback. If you teach students under 13 years old, follow the directions to provide school or district consent to sign up students. Free accounts offer unlimited classes with unlimited active assignments. The audio feedback is not on the free plan.

tag(s): assessment (134), editing (86), Formative Assessment (42), homework (27), Online Learning (32), proofreading (17), rubrics (35), Teacher Utilities (194), writing (308)

In the Classroom

Use Floop to provide timely and specific feedback for any assignment. Floop is a great resource for teaching students how to provide and respond to feedback in purposeful ways and engaging them in the learning process. Floop chose to use hotspots on documents to access feedback so that students have to revisit and refer to items shared. Take advantage of this by strategically placing feedback within documents in areas where students are to focus. For example, place a hotspot on an area with grammar mistakes that need correction and guide learning by asking students to revisit that portion of the text. Allow peer feedback when working on group assignments or create rough drafts to encourage students to provide input and direction as a class. After using Floop for several assignments, encourage students to reflect upon common mistakes found in their work. Extend learning by asking students to create a tutorial using FlexClip, reviewed here, explaining how to avoid these errors. One example will be in math class if a student makes an error in several assignments, such as forgetting how to borrow and carry when subtracting. Ask them to create a video tutorial demonstrating the proper steps to reinforce the concept and share it with peers.

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Whiteboard.chat - whiteboard.chat

Grades
K to 12
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Collaborate, share, teach, and interact with students using Whiteboard.chat. Use the teaching mode to create, assign, and teach live lessons. The teaching mode also includes uploading...more
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Collaborate, share, teach, and interact with students using Whiteboard.chat. Use the teaching mode to create, assign, and teach live lessons. The teaching mode also includes uploading a multipage PDF document and assigning multiple pages as workbooks to individual students. Use the collaborative method to work within a collaborative workspace with other users. After entering the teaching mode, use the toolbar to access drawing tools, upload images and documents, and manage the look and content of your board. Once students enter a whiteboard session using a shared code or link through Canvas or Google Classroom, they can download any shared workbook pages. Student tools include an area to raise their hand to receive help, request a break, indicate work is finished, or request to speed up or slow down the lesson. Observe students using the grid view that provides a thumbnail view of individual student whiteboards. Additional features include a timer, a list of participants, options to create breakout rooms, and settings to lock students from updating boards prematurely. Registration isn't required; however, it allows you to manage and save boards for later use.

tag(s): collaboration (80), differentiation (77), iwb (28)

In the Classroom

Use Whiteboard.chat to collaborate with students to share and organize information instantly. This tool even allows educators to auto-correct all boards with a single click! Use the PDF document feature to differentiate instruction with groups of students or individuals. Use the breakout feature to conduct small group meetings or provide personalized instruction to individual students. Allow students to create collaborative drawings as responses to literature. They can map out the plot or themes, add labels, create character studies, and more. Have a group of students create a drawing so that another group can use it as a writing prompt. Use Whiteboard.com as a brainstorming or sketching space as groups (or the class) share ideas for a major project or for solving a real-world problem. Use this site in a computer lab (or on laptops) to draw the setting in a story as it is read aloud. As an assessment idea, have students draw out a simple cartoon with stick figures to explain a more complex process, such as how democracy works. If you are lucky enough to teach in a BYOD setting, have a blended classroom, or are distance teaching, use Whiteboard.chat to demonstrate and illustrate any concept while students use the chat and drawing tools to interact in real-time. If you are studying weather, have students diagram the layers of the atmosphere and what happens during a thunderstorm, for example. Introduce this tool to students who are working on group projects. Alternatively, have students use this to work as partners or as a small team within a breakout area to complete complex math problems or equations.

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Mural for Education - Tactivos, Inc.

Grades
6 to 12
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Mural for Education offers flexible tools for virtual collaboration and communication. Think of it as a virtual whiteboard workspace that includes sticky notes, shapes, and connectors...more
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Mural for Education offers flexible tools for virtual collaboration and communication. Think of it as a virtual whiteboard workspace that includes sticky notes, shapes, and connectors to create diagrams and mind maps, drawing tools, images, and more. Use Mural to create breakout rooms for group work or prepare and share study guides and classroom calendars. Apply for a free account as a student or for a classroom account. Start collaborating by following the prompts provided by Mural to begin designing your workspace using templates or from a blank board. Use the dashboard to add text, icons, images, and more. Facilitators also have options for adding contributors, setting a work timer, and setting parameters for the session chat.

tag(s): collaboration (80), graphic organizers (51), iwb (28), Online Learning (32), remote learning (31)

In the Classroom

Ask older students to create a Mural for Education account when collaborating on projects to share ideas and organize information. Have students use Mural for Education to develop storylines that include links and images to tell the story of events in history or retell novels. Ask students to use Mural to create mood boards to share the different works of artists or demonstrate different architecture types. Mural would be an excellent choice as a collaborative tool for large projects to brainstorm ideas, assign tasks, and document progress. Use Mural with students as part of your science experiments to share the steps of the experiment, document hypothesis, and add images and reflections upon the outcomes of the experiment. Mural for Education is an excellent resource for remote learning situations to engage students through the use of interactive content and chat. Use the breakout room option to allow for differentiation and group discussions.

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Adobe Education Khan + Create Activities - Adobe Education and Khan Academy

Grades
K to 12
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Adobe Education and Khan Academy have partnered to share guided activities for all grade levels from kindergarten through higher learning. Activities begin with Khan Academy created...more
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Adobe Education and Khan Academy have partnered to share guided activities for all grade levels from kindergarten through higher learning. Activities begin with Khan Academy created materials to build knowledge through activities that encourage creation, self-expression, and immersion in the topics provided. Select any topic to view a description. Topics include math, language and literature, science, and social studies. Sign in to download each lesson to your computer that provides for links to all activities and tutorials for using technology tools included in the activities.

tag(s): branches of government (66), cells (84), digital storytelling (150), environment (248), genetics (86), geometric shapes (136), grammar (139), landmarks (20), map skills (63), molecules (42), multiplication (116), Online Learning (32), parts of speech (38), Problem Based Learning (11), problem solving (243), Project Based Learning (24), Research (79), social and emotional learning (114), STEM (332), stories and storytelling (65)

In the Classroom

Bookmark this excellent site to use as a resource for finding and developing lessons for both in-person and online learning. Lessons found on this site includes links to videos and articles found on the Khan Academy website, use bookmarking and collaborative resources such as Symbaloo EDU, reviewed here, or Padlet, reviewed here, to share the Khan Academy links along with other helpful resources for students. Use a word cloud tool like Aha Slides, reviewed here, to motivate and encourage students to think about the topics shared at the beginning of your activities. If you prefer to use additional multimedia resources in addition to the Adobe products shared in the lessons, browse through the TeachersFirst Edge Tools, reviewed here, to find additional tools for creating videos, webpages, collaboration, and much more.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Boddle Learning - Boddle Learning Inc

Grades
K to 6
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Boddle is an engaging math learning platform for grades K-6 that adapts to student ability levels. Create your account and classroom to begin. Add your students manually or import information...more
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Boddle is an engaging math learning platform for grades K-6 that adapts to student ability levels. Create your account and classroom to begin. Add your students manually or import information from Google Classroom. When created, share your classroom using the link to Boddle and your class code. Additional options include creating assignments that have specific skills for the entire class or individual students. As students engage in Boggle, view results, and progress on your teacher dashboard. Free accounts include access to games and the learning platform but don't include the professional development offered within the site.

tag(s): differentiation (77), Learning Management Systems (18), Online Learning (32), Teacher Utilities (194)

In the Classroom

Use Boddle to differentiate math instruction for your students. Include a link to Boddle on classroom computers for use during math centers, and provide a link on your classroom website for your blended classroom or for students to play at home. Share with parents to create individual accounts for use at home. Include Boddle with other online math programs using a bookmarking tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here for easy access by students.

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Alison - Mike Feerick

Grades
10 to 12
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Alison is a free learning platform offering courses for education and skills training provided by the world's leading experts. Find courses using the dropdown boxes at the top of the...more
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Alison is a free learning platform offering courses for education and skills training provided by the world's leading experts. Find courses using the dropdown boxes at the top of the site sorted by Explore Diplomas and Certificates and Discover Careers. Under More find Assessments and a Resume Builder among other tools. Browse the home page to find the popular courses and most recent offerings. Complete the free registration to begin. Upon selecting a class, view information on the number of modules, topics, and approximate length. Upon completion, Alison provides a certificate or diploma, depending on the duration of the offerings.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): business (54), careers (196), chinese (43), coding (89), communication (113), engineering (140), french (69), german (44), literature (218), multilingual (72), OER (38), Online Learning (32), politics (119), psychology (65), sociology (23), spanish (106), STEM (332)

In the Classroom

Use Alison to find professional learning courses, learn the basics of a new language, or for personal development. Share Alison with students to learn skills not offered in school or share with ENL/ESL students to use when learning English. Use Alison with student cohorts interested in learning about a new topic or preparing for college-level courses.

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Education for the Real World - EVERFI

Grades
2 to 12
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EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include Financial Education, Health and Wellness, Workforce Readiness, STEM...more
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EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include Financial Education, Health and Wellness, Workforce Readiness, STEM and History career readiness, and many more. Select any topic to view the courses offered with a summary and grade-level suggestions. Each unit is correlated to Common Core Standards and includes features such as videos, games, digital lessons, and teacher guides. Use the teacher dashboard to create classes and enroll students after completing the free registration information. Once registered, use the site's features to assign topics that are available for both online and offline learning.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (179), financial literacy (93), game based learning (215), literacy (121), mental health (57), social and emotional learning (114), STEM (332), Teacher Utilities (194)

In the Classroom

Discover the many free resources on this site to provide individual lessons or complete learning units for your students. As students complete assignments, use the many offerings found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to enhance learning through creating timelines, completing graphic organizers, and more. For activities that include new vocabulary, use a digital game creation site such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to review and practice new words and terms. Have students show what they know upon completion of any of the activities using Adobe Express for Education, reviewed here, to create a collage, poster, flyer, or multimedia presentation sharing their knowledge of the subject.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Slido - Slido.com

Grades
5 to 12
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Slido is an instant question/answer and an interactive polling application. Create an account to begin using Slido. The free version allows you to crowdsource questions, share three...more
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Slido is an instant question/answer and an interactive polling application. Create an account to begin using Slido. The free version allows you to crowdsource questions, share three polls per event, and brainstorm ideas. After creating your session and questions, provide participants with the code to access your event. Other features include a word cloud option created from audience responses and the ability to crowdsource questions and upvote favorites, so they move to the top of the list.

tag(s): Formative Assessment (42), polls and surveys (42), quizzes (86)

In the Classroom

Use Slido to engage students and for use as a formative assessment tool. When introducing a new unit, use Slido as a pre-assessment to determine student knowledge and guide instruction. Use the anonymous feature to make it easy for students to ask questions in real-time without raising their hand and identifying themselves. Share Slido with students to use during presentations to interact with peers.

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Deck.Toys - Boon Jin Goh

Grades
K to 12
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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....more
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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 (134), bookmarks (37), classroom management (106), Teacher Utilities (194)

In the Classroom

Use Deck.Toys to create gamified learning activities for all students. Deck.Toys is perfect for creating mini-lessons for students to explore during center time or as a flipped classroom activity. Use to remediate and enrich lessons for struggling learners or as an enrichment activity for gifted learners.

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Open Learning Initiative - Carnegie Mellon University

Grades
6 to 12
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Teach or learn through high-quality online courses offered by the Open Learning Initiative. Choose from available courses in a variety of subjects with full course information including...more
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Teach or learn through high-quality online courses offered by the Open Learning Initiative. Choose from available courses in a variety of subjects with full course information including topics covered, estimated completion time, and software required. Classes are free for independent learning; Set up and teach your own course by registering for an instructor account. Instructor accounts allow members to access tools to assess student learning and provide credit for course completion.

tag(s): chinese (43), classroom management (106), design (74), engineering (140), french (69), logic (158), OER (38), Online Learning (32), probability (99), psychology (65), statistics (117), STEM (332)

In the Classroom

Take advantage of content in courses to supplement your current lessons. No registration is required to access and view course information. Share this site with gifted students or students with interests in specific academic areas not covered in your current curriculum. Create a course and offer it to your students for greater interaction and learning through community building. Find great ideas from other existing courses. Teachers of gifted can use courses to challenge students in their areas of interest. You can also have gifted students create or collaborate on a student-made "course." Explore the topics for some new, engaging topics to round out your own expertise. Allow students to enroll in a course that would fit into their career goals as an exploratory opportunity in that field. The Open Learning Initiative would also be perfect for setting up directions and steps for any projects you require students to do for your class. The program will integrate with some learning management systems.

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Wakelet - Jamil Khalil

Grades
K to 12
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Create, curate, and share web content with Wakelet. Save online links, including articles, videos, tweets, and more then organize them into collections called wakes. Share collections...more
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Create, curate, and share web content with Wakelet. Save online links, including articles, videos, tweets, and more then organize them into collections called wakes. Share collections with a personalized link or use the embed code to embed anywhere online. Use the keyword search to explore and view wakes created by other Wakelet members. Save information from other wakes to your account for use in your own wakes. To make your wakes more distinctive, add a cover image, background, and choose the layout you prefer. Wakelet works smoothly with many apps, such as Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom. Note: New users of the free version of Wakelet will be able to create up to three collections, with a maximum of 50 items in each.

tag(s): bookmarks (37), collaboration (80), communication (113), curation (23), DAT device agnostic tool (124), multimedia (55), news (223), personalized learning (7), playlists (5), social media (50), social networking (55)

In the Classroom

The possibilities for using Wakelet in the classroom are endless! Create collections with tips for writing in different genres, current events, information about specific countries or cities, math games, and much more. Have students set up their own wakes as part of a research project. Put together a wake scavenger hunt to introduce a new unit or as a review at the end of a unit. Share wakes on your class web page for student use at home to review and practice class content. Having the ability to have a cover image and background for your wakes makes them much more interesting and easily identifiable, especially for young or visual students!

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Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access

Grades
4 to 12
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Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature...more
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Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature to find digital resources including photos, recordings, videos, and text. Sign up to create your own collections, including those found on the site and your own resources. Also, click Discover and use the search bar to find topics already on the site your class is studying like dinosaurs, explorers, black history, volcanoes, etc. Add annotations and develop quizzes. Easily share your creations or curated collections using social networking links provided. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): animals (291), architecture (85), art history (109), aviation (41), black history (132), civil war (140), dinosaurs (48), explorers (65), images (258), inventors and inventions (82), Learning Management Systems (18), oceans (144), scientists (71), shakespeare (96), Teacher Utilities (194), volcanoes (59)

In the Classroom

The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.

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Sal, , Grades: 0 - 12

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Nearpod - Nearpod

Grades
5 to 12
16 Favorites 0  Comments
 
Use this free slide-based multimedia app to put lessons and other material on any web browser OR iOs and Android devices. Build your presentations using pre-made templates. The site...more
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Use this free slide-based multimedia app to put lessons and other material on any web browser OR iOs and Android devices. Build your presentations using pre-made templates. The site does offer ready-made presentations (some free). The interactive, pre-made videos and text presentations are from Ted-Ed, Khan Academy, Nearpod, and others. Some include questions to answer as you work through the presentations. What is the best part of Nearpod? There are now three different presentation modes.

When in the "live presentation" mode (in person or remote web conferencing), teachers control the lesson's pace, and students do not move to the next screen until advanced by the teacher. With the "student pace" mode, students progress through independently, whether at home or in class. The third mode is "front of the class;" you project your presentation, and the students do not use their devices. Use the teacher version of the app to push out the presentation to your students. For the first two modes, every student uses their own student app to follow the screens and answer the questions. This provides immediate feedback about every student. The feedback can be emailed to the teacher for later review. This formative assessment tool is invaluable and a unique part of the app. The tool also includes drawing for students to work out problems. Teachers can identify students who are not "on task" and not working within the app when a little red light pops up. Absent students can complete the assignment at home.

The free version of Nearpod for Educators is called Silver; you get 100 MB of storage, 40 students per session/lesson, access to standard formative assessments features, pre-made interactive lessons up to your storage limit, pre-made interactive videos up to your storage limit, create interactive videos, lessons, and activities, upload PDF, PPT, and Google slides, and more. Again, how many lessons and videos will depend on your storage.

tag(s): assessment (134), classroom management (106), DAT device agnostic tool (124), differentiation (77), Formative Assessment (42), gamification (75), Learning Management Systems (18), multimedia (55), Online Learning (32), personalized learning (7), playlists (5), remote learning (31), slides (41), Teacher Utilities (194), teaching strategies (52)

In the Classroom

This is an exciting way to begin iPad (or BYOD), blended learning, or remote learning integration into the classroom. Initially it may be difficult to determine the best pacing of the lesson, the ability to slow down the advancement of the next screen allows more time to digest the information. Be aware that students needing more time may be very frustrated as the screen may advance before they are able to finish. Start small by uploading presentations and using JPEG and other images. Add interactive elements such as polls and videos. Grab students attention by using the first slide to deliver a piece of humorous information. Create guided learning stations and push out several presentations to different devices as students move through the various lessons to be learned. This technique can be helpful for struggling learners. Use this tool to help reinforce the most difficult parts of the lesson. Use the app to create schedules for training, clubs, and more. For English, learn about grammar rules, sentence structure, and other elements necessary for good writing. For ENL/ESL classes and world languages, practice various vocabulary words and learn tenses of verbs. Learn vocabulary and basic scientific concepts in any science class or facts about historical periods in history classes. This app is a valuable tool in any classroom.

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Sheppard Software: Free Online Learning Games - Sheppard Software

Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites 0  Comments
 
Sheppard Software offers hundreds of online learning games for learners in a large variety of subjects. Topics include brain games, seasons, nutrition, and world geography. Search for...more
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Sheppard Software offers hundreds of online learning games for learners in a large variety of subjects. Topics include brain games, seasons, nutrition, and world geography. Search for specific topics or browse categories. Looking for a specific grade level range? Scroll down below the main icons to view recommended sections for different age ranges from preschool to adult. In addition to games, some categories include videos, timelines, and coloring activities. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. Some activities require flash which isn't supported on all browsers.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): addition (120), alphabet (48), alphabetical order (8), animal homes (55), animals (291), capitalization (9), capitals (14), cells (84), colors (65), continents (32), counting (59), countries (73), decimals (84), dinosaurs (48), division (93), elements (31), endangered species (28), equations (118), estimation (33), fractions (157), geometric shapes (136), grammar (139), integers (21), landforms (38), life cycles (22), measurement (124), money (110), multiplication (116), number lines (32), number sense (66), numbers (114), oceans (144), order of operations (29), parts of speech (38), patterns (64), periodic table (46), place value (33), puzzles (148), states (125), subtraction (106), time (90), vocabulary (240), vocabulary development (95)

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site to use as a resource for computer center games and activities throughout the year. Share curriculum-related resources on your interactive whiteboard or projector. This site could work well in a BYOD or 1:1 classroom. Share with parents as a resource to use at home or as a summer skills review and refresher.

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Duolingo - Duolingo

Grades
1 to 12
2 Favorites 0  Comments
 
Duolingo is a free, online language learning class. Sign up with your email. Make a selection from Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and many others. Earn points...more
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Duolingo is a free, online language learning class. Sign up with your email. Make a selection from Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and many others. Earn points on different levels as you work towards mastery. Practice provides both seeing and hearing the words. Your responses require choosing the English translation and also spelling the words in the "new" language. Put your knowledge to work in the immersion section and translate a document or even upload a document of your own. Check the vocabulary you have learned and your progress toward mastery. Track your weekly progress. The discussion section answers individual questions. Duolingo is free for schools. There are free iOS and Android apps for Duolingo.

tag(s): arabic (10), chinese (43), DAT device agnostic tool (124), french (69), game based learning (215), german (44), hebrew (16), italian (29), japanese (52), multilingual (72), OER (38), Online Learning (32), portuguese (20), russian (24), spanish (106)

In the Classroom

Use Duolingo in your world language classes as another form of practice and enrichment. Have students sign up to compete against each other in a fun game of language mastery. Have world language students use the immersion tool to help read and translate authentic text. For an ENL/ELL classroom, provide extra, specific practice in beginning English. ENL/ELL students can also use the immersion section to check their own written documents and connect with other ENL/ELL students. Offer this site as a supplement when you study cultures from around the world. Gifted students are sure to enjoy the challenge of learning some language phrases. Is your class remote learning? Duolingo has a guide just for that! Scroll down the home page and find Duolingo for Schools, then click Bring Duolingo to Your Classroom. Find the Guide for using Duolingo at home at the top right of the page.
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Newsela - Matthew Gross

Grades
2 to 12
19 Favorites 2  Comments
Newsela offers four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher ...more
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Newsela offers four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher to access four pre-selected news articles, select and lock reading levels for students, see alignment to state standards, schedule assignments and set due dates, access students' quiz scores, and respond to students' writing prompt submissions and annotations. Many of these features were on the "premium" account until the 2023-2024 school year.

In case you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in various formats tailored to different reading levels. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times, resulting in a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles feature embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that align with reading levels, allowing for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and students. However, students sign up using a teacher- or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level-specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (124), differentiation (77), guided reading (32), independent reading (81), news (223), reading comprehension (143), remote learning (31)

In the Classroom

Achieve two goals here: help students improve their reading comprehension and keep them current with what is happening in our nation and the world. When assigning articles, choose to have the class read at one reading level, or select individuals and set the reading level for them. There are five categories from which to choose. You may want to set up different articles at different learning stations on the computers in your room. Have the students rotate daily through the stations, completing one or two a day until they have completed all five articles. Since Newsela is cloud-based, even students absent from class can easily complete the missed work. If you and your students are teaching and learning remotely, or you have a blended classroom, Newsela will work perfectly for those! Teachers of gifted students can utilize this site to accelerate or enrich their students' reading skills. Find each student's individual levels for reading nonfiction. Teachers of Learning Support and ENL//ESL students will love this alternate way for their students to meet nonfiction/current events requirements.

Comments

This is an excellent article. Thanks for sharing this information. Please keep sharing content like this. Cassandra, IL, Grades: 0 - 12
This is an excellent site and allows differentiation while everyone is reading the same text. Renee, NC, Grades: 0 - 5

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TED-ED - Ted.com

Grades
6 to 12
10 Favorites 0  Comments
  
Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what...more
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Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what they've learned and know. The videos are even more appealing because of the professional animators who worked in the background (with the educators) to get the message across to the audience. You can search these videos by "Lessons" (under "Discover") and from there by subject, "Collections," is organized by theme, or by "Exploration." Every video has a "Think" section with multiple choice and open ended questions. If you get a multiple choice answer wrong you will receive a video hint to help you get it correct. Every video has a Dig Deeper section with additional resources for exploring the topic. You can take one of these videos, a video from YouTube, or any other video with a URL and "flip" them to make them your own. You can change the title, put in instructions, discard or keep the questions, create your own questions. In other words, you can make the video your own, to suit your needs. Once you save the video it will have a unique URL so you can track the progress and participation of anyone using it. Don't miss such clever offerings as David Hunter's video about the importance of geography concepts in deciding "How do you decide where to go in a zombie apocalypse?" Ted-Ed is only part of the TED offerings. View the full TED site reviewed here. Be sure to look at the Discover and Create tabs on the top menu.

tag(s): blended learning (27), business (54), design (74), literature (218), psychology (65), religions (123), Teacher Utilities (194)

In the Classroom

Choose a video or create your own videos for students to use for review. After students view a video that has the questions, show one that doesn't, and have students generate questions for it. Assign videos for students to view at home or in the computer lab. Use them as a springboard for engaging writing prompts or to spark a discussion connected with a unit of study. Challenge students to do a compare/contrast activity using an online Venn Diagram tool, reviewed here. Most of the videos are less than twenty minutes, which makes it realistic to use them in a one-period class lesson or if you are implementing blended learning or flipped learning in your classroom or school (leaving class time for asking questions and clarifying).

Show a video or two with your class and discuss the set up of the lesson. Discuss the difference between basic comprehension questions and open-ended questions. Show your students an inspirational video or two from TED reviewed here. As a class, pick out eight or ten of the TED videos and allow students to sign up to work on one of the videos. Have cooperative learning groups develop a TED Ed video lesson. You will need to proofread all work using a word processor, before allowing students to upload their questions on TED Ed.

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Curriki - EnterpriseDB Postgre SQL company

Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites 0  Comments
  
Curriki is a nonprofit organization that encourages teachers and learners' to collaborate in developing quality educational materials in a global community. Click What We Do from the...more
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Curriki is a nonprofit organization that encourages teachers and learners' to collaborate in developing quality educational materials in a global community. Click What We Do from the top menu and slide to CurikiStudio, and click Creators to create a free account and find resources like questions, photos/images, multimedia, and more for interactive lesson creation. Next under Solutions is CurrikiGo, where you will publish your lessons, etc. Last on the dropdown list is the CurrikiLibrary, where you can search by subject area, grade level, or resource type (interactive, video, or podcast). For a thorough summary of Curriki click the Explore a CurrikiStudio Activity. Join different groups for a more involved way to explore new areas in online learning, subject area interests, or focus questions. Create collections of your resources to keep private or share with others. This site focuses on providing free access to teachers, schools, students, or parents to many new creative ideas for in-class learning, digital learning, and hybrid or blended learning in a global community. Free membership includes monthly newsletters. Follow Curriki on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or blogs.
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tag(s): graphic organizers (51), literacy (121), OER (38), operations (71), resources (80), rubrics (35), Teacher Utilities (194)

In the Classroom

Curriki has several ways to benefit teachers and students. Use Curriki as a resource listed on your website to have extra opportunities for additional practice or enrichment for parents and students. If you have a blended classroom, Curriki is the perfect tool to use for your students to access assignments. Use as a way to organize your digital resources. The lesson plan and Webquest templates are user friendly and promote best practices. While growing in your professional development by connecting with teachers worldwide, let your class learn with other classes worldwide. Curriki encourages you to think critically about your own lessons, and also the lessons suggested.

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