The information in these slides was presented on February 14, 2018 during PETE&C 2018 in Hershey, PA by Melissa Henning, M.Ed. Educational Content Manger for The Source for Learning/ TeachersFirst.
As the waters of technology get deeper, some of your more reluctant teachers may need a lifesaver. Come to our waters to learn about some fabulous FREE (and simple) tech tools. Not
only will you learn about over 10 fabulous FREE (easy to use) tech tools, but you will also learn ways to use them TOMORROW in your classroom.
10. Padlet
Padlet
Introduce yourselves if you haven’t already. Use
the Padlet to post questions. Feel free to
comment on other’s posts.
https://goo.gl/Lr67xg
35. Padlet
Padlet
Introduce yourselves if you haven’t already. Use
the Padlet to post questions. Feel free to
comment on other’s posts.
https://goo.gl/Lr67xg
8:00 – Welcome to Lifeguarding the shallow end of technology. Today we are going to discuss some EASY tools to get your most reluctant teachers trying out technology. We will share with you how to use most of the tools, so you can take it back and share with those tech-tough teachers. Whether you are an ed tech coach or teacher that leads with technology or in admin, we hope you will find some new (and simple) tools to help your school get their feet wet in the shallow end of the technology pool.
8:00
8:01 – to access our resource page, please complete this very simple form.
8:02 – While you are working on your form, let me quickly share about our non-profit and my experiences. TeachersFirst has been around since 1998. Our parent company is the Source for Learning. TeachersFirst offers over 16,000 FREE resources. We also offer FREE PD online workshops, book studies, and more. Our membership is FREE also. Take some time to explore this FREE tool after our session.
Slide 4 – 8:03 - Here is some information about me. I am from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. I started my career in public education as a gifted elementary specialist at Cumberland Valley Schools. I created the curriculum for the district. After retiring from public education, I went to work for a non-profit ed tech company – TeachersFirst. I have presented at ISTE, FETC, and many regional conferences. Here are my Twitter handles for myself and TeachersFirst.
8:04 – Let’s find out who we have with us today. Take a minute and complete our poll.
8:06 – when sharing any website we must always mention FERPA, although this won’t be an issue with most of the sites that we share.
8:06 – And here is this disclaimer.
8:07 – OK, let’s get ready to jump in the pool of technology. You can see we have some tubes ready for those not quite ready to full swim ;) As the waters of technology get deeper, some of your teachers may feel like they need a lifesaver. I am going to share FREE tools that even your most reluctant teachers may consider trying out. I am also going to give you some ideas of ways to use each tool. Each of my sites that I share also have a review of the site with a more detailed description, classroom use ideas, and tips.
8:07 – But first, we have a Padlet to collaborate our ideas today. I will be giving away some free goodies at the end of our session, to be eligible for a free surprise, make sure you are responding on the Padlet. This is a great tool because you can keep the Padlet for ideas from other teachers in our group. Say hello on the Padlet, so we know you are ready to rock. Now we are going to take 3 minutes to talk to our neighbors and collaborate. What is your biggest struggle as a coach or teacher motivating others to use technology? Let’s take 2-3 minutes to talk to your neighbor and add your struggles on our Padlet. Later in the session, we will try to help each other solve some of these issues. Click on the + sign at the bottom of the right side to add your struggle. Take time to comment on others with any tips. We will come back to this later in the sesion! https://goo.gl/Lr67xg
8:10 - Our most reluctant teachers, need to be introduced to tools that are easy to integrate and useful to them.
S.A.M.R. stands for SUBSTITUTION, AUGMENTATION, MODIFICATION and REDEFINITION AND is a model that shows the stages of integration of technology in teaching and learning.
The first two phases, Substitution and Augmentation, are an enhancement of teaching and learning through technology. All tools that I will share today fall into one of these two categories, mostly the Substitution.
Let’s start with Substitution - In this first phase of integrating technology into the classroom, the technology is used as a direct substitute for traditional teaching and learning methods. This includes tasks like accessing textbooks in an ebook version, rather than an actual book; taking notes or writing up paragraphs and essays using technology, rather than using a notebook and pencil.
The next step is augmentation. This is still about directly substituting technology for traditional tasks, but there is some functional improvement, allowing tasks to be completed more efficiently. For example, when technology replaces traditional question-and-answer testing students get instant feedback and teachers get a quick formative assessment. Many more examples will be shared as we move through our 10 (well, 12) tools.
http://www.stpatricks.tas.edu.au/school-life/elearning/21st-century-learning-copy/the-samar-model/
SAMR Model by Sylvia Duckworth
8:11- SCREENSHARE - This is a TeachersFirst review. All of our resources today are links to a REVIEW of that resource. This session is to share about 20 resources (plus a few bonus). But, we are also here to tell you HOW to use the resources in your class. Each of our reviews include a description and grade levels. But I wanted to take a moment and point out the In the Classroom section of this review. Here you will find 3-5, if not more, ways to use this tool in the classroom. Learn about warnings and additional tips. You will see this is listed as Edge and some Edge features are also provided. Most of our tools are Edge today. The Edge means they are cutting edge technology or what used to be referred to as 2.0. They may create something or have requirements such as downloads, email registration, collaboration, and more. The Edge is a special collection of over 1,000 resources on TeachersFirst.
8:11
8:12 - Online Voice Recorder (audio) - SHARE
Grade - K-12
This tool provides a free online voice recorder. Simply click record and begin. This is a great tool for emergent readers to use to hear themselves reading. Use this tool to practice pronunciations for world languages. Share this tool with families for students to use at home to practice spelling words audibly. This is a good example of substitution. Rather than talking to the teacher or a parent, students are substituting with a device.
8:14 - Clash (audio/management tool) - SHARE
Grade - 5-12
This tool is cool! This one also requires NO registration. Type your chosen text into the text box and listen to the creative audio mix that the site creates. This one could be used to grab students’ attention at the end of a work period or to give instructions in a fun way. Students could use Clash to do a quick character analysis or define vocabulary words. If you have never tried Clash, check it out - - it is FUN! This is substitution, as you are using technology rather than a teacher voice to get attention. Very simple tool. Demonstrate
8:16 - Flask (list maker) - SHARE
Grade - K-12
Flask.io
Grade - K-12
No registration is required for Flask, the easiest list making tool that I have ever seen. Simply type in your title and start listing tasks that need to be completed. Save the url of your virtual list. You CAN register if you want it to save your lists on the site, but you can simply save the URL and never have to register. Have students use this tool to organize homework assignments, large projects, and more. Students can collaborate and list items together, as long as they have the url. When an item is complete, strike it off. You can set due dates, star them as IMPORTANT, tag them different colors, and more. Since this one does allow for collaboration, it does bridge between substitution and augmentation on SAMR.
8:18 - Add Text (image editing) – Share if time
Grades 4-12
Add Text does just as the name implies, you can add simple text to photos. This simple image editing tool requires no registration and is device agnostic, meaning that it is available as both a web browser and an App for iOs or Android. This is perfect for a BYOD classroom, it works on all devices. Students can use this tool to create simple projects to introduce themselves at the beginning of the year, explain a character, provide a main idea, diagram an image from a science experiment, and more. A url is created that can be shared with the teachers for quick assessment.
8:20 - Quizlet (study aid) - Share
Grade - 3-12
This is another one that gets teachers into a bit of augmentation on SAMR. Quizlet has been around awhile and is so useful. This is one that you will need to create an account to save your work. This is also a Device agnostic tool, so available as both a web browser or as an app on iOs and Android. Quizlet has a few functions. You create what are called Study Sets (words and the definition). Then Quizlet turns them into virtual flashcards, interactive quizzes, or review games. Since this is device agnostic, it is perfect for the BYOD classroom. Create a quizlet for your class and share the url on your class website for students to study for the science unit test. Older students can also create their own study sets. No account is necessary to study the sets. An account is necessary to create the study sets.
8:22 - SHARE
This could be used by any grade, but it is suggested for elementary. Another easy tool that teachers (and students) will love is Talkify. Create talking pictures with a simple 1-2-3. This tool can be used to explain the main idea or character from a book, science concept, vocabulary word, math problem, and so much more. file:///Users/melissahenning/Desktop/Lincoln.ogv
8:24 - Google Form (survey tool) – demonstrate IF TIME
Grade - K-12
Google also has a cool tool that made this list. If you are looking for an easy to use survey tool, Google Forms may be your answer. You must have a Google account to create forms. Just type in your questions and if an answer is required or not. Use this to do quick formative assessments of your class and what they already know or what may need to be retaught. This tool borders between substitution and augmentation.
8:26 - SMMRY (summarize large text )
Grade - 6-12
The final site that I chose to share today is one of my favorites. So I saved the best for last. I especially love this one to differentiate for special needs students, esl or weaker readers. SMMRY creates a summary of longer texts. You copy and paste the text to begin. You can copy a website, upload a PDF file, or even past a url to summarize. You also get to choose the number of sentences for the summary. Use this tool with students who are struggling to understand reading concepts or with reading comprehension in general. Give your weaker readers the option to use this tool to help better understand the textbook or online article that you share. Example – use the purpose of this session. Have open to copy/paste ahead of time.
8:28 - Baamboozle (Gamification) – demonstrate if time - - but mainly just go to site and show how easy.
Grade - K-12
My two favorite things about the Baamboozle gamification tool are that it is does not require registration and device agnostic, so you can create games and play games on any device: computer, laptop, Android, iOs, anything. This tool definitely would be closer to the Augmentation level of tech integration. However, this is a simple tool to learn and there is no registration required. Use this tool to engage your students in reviewing for a test. Have students create their own games to share with the class.
8:29 - Sway (Presentation creator) – intro video
Grade - 3-12
Log into your Microsoft account and create simple presentations with Sway. This is truly as easy, if not easier, than PowerPoint. I would say that this tool borders between substitution and augmentation. This is a very easy tool to introduce to your students also. My favorite part of this tool is that you don’t have a ton of options for effects, like on PowerPoint - so less distractions for the presentation. Content remains the focal point. Use Sway to share material in any class. Allow students to create a Sway rather than a traditional book report or to demonstrate their understanding of a science concept. Sway is also a device agnostic tool and has an app for iOS and android devices. I will be honest, in January at FETC I became a Microsoft Innovative Trainer and I had NO experience with Sway. I played around with the site for about 3-5 minutes and I had created my first Sway. It is a presentation builder and SO easy to use. The best part as a teacher, especially for special needs, Sway doesn’t focus on the transitions and order of things. They have you plug in what content you want and the images or videos. They do the rest. So you don’t have the wasted time with the bells and whistles, just the content. Here is a short video showing the simplicity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcg6DGO9hpI (3 minutes)
8:31 - Padlet (virtual bulletin board and collaboration tool) – Share if time, different options - https://padlet.com/
Grade - 2-12
Padlet offer a virtual bulletin board that allows for collaboration and is device agnostic, available on a web browser or as an app on both iOs or Android. The tool offers 3 options of sharing the information (a scattered look, square tiles look, or single answers in a row look). It is very easy to create a Padlet. This tool borders between substitution and augmentation.
8:33 - Word Clouds for Kids (Word Cloud Maker)
Grade - K-7
This very simple word cloud maker allows students to choose their own colors, type of display, font, and save or print their final word cloud. Simple type or copy and paste the words into the box. This is an easy tool for any level of tech integration. It is also ideal for your visual learners. Use when reading poetry or talking about main idea. Have students type in their own writing to see what words they tend to use most frequently.
8:35 – Duolingo – Share if time - This is one of my favorites to use personally and share with students (and teachers). Have any of you used duolingo? It is a fabulous world language program. There are nearly 30 languages to choose from: Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Greek, Indonesian, and several others. You need to register if you want to save your progress. But you don’t need to register to just test out the site. You get to determine how many minutes per day you will “study.” They will even send you reminders each day. Students must have some basic reading and typing skills to use this tool. Depending on the individual child, it could be useful for nearly all ages. The obvious use of this tool is in world language classes or for ESL/ELL students to learn English. Challenge your gifted students to learn a new language for additional enrichment. This one again is both substitution and augmentation.
8:37 – SHARE - Oh hi - 6 is one of my favorite tools and super easy to use. This is a basic logic game that nearly all ages can use. This is great for ESL students or limited readers, since no reading skills are required. Let me show you how easy this Is! The rules get a bit more complicated in the higher levels, but all of the instructions are on the site or app. Demonstrate how to use this tool on your interactive whiteboard. Give students the option of this site if they finish work early. Put a link to this tool and the app on your class website, parents will enjoy this one too! This is my insomnia game. VERY easy to use and safe “filler” activity for an early finisher. The web version only goes to a 10x10 grid, while the app version goes to a 12x12.
8:39 - 11:11 - Class123 - 50 - http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=17748
This tool has it all - a timer, seating chart, attendance manager, random name picker, and more. Sign up for free to add your rosters and avatars. Please be aware that Class123 falls under the FERPA laws for "directory information" and "educational records." Any school getting funds from the Department of Education (public schools) is required to disclose to parents and get written consent to use Class123 with their child. Learn about it more with a short video clip. The nice part about this tool is you can use it for as much or little as you wish. Maybe you just want the random name picker or the timer. EASY. Or if you are looking for more to explore, there is a lot here and FREE!
8:41- Flipgrid - is a video discussion tool with capabilities for sharing student responses through video. So many ways to use this in the class, our review is bursting with ideas. Challenge students to reflect on their learning at the end of a unit, research project, or literature circle. What are some things you did well on this assignment? What mistakes did you make on your last assignment that you did not make on today's assignment? What would you do differently? World language students can practice speaking in their new language and choose the best video to turn into their teacher. Student or teacher can explain a series of steps in an assignment or concept, one at a time (great for differentiation). SHARE - https://flipgrid.com/dqol3e
8:43 – Easyblog is just that EASY. It is mainly designed as a tool for grades K-6, but could be used by older students. This one is a higher end tool, but VERY easy once it is setup. Again, you can use whichever features work for your class. You have lots of options. More reluctant teachers may need some guidance with set-up.
8:45 – Here is a new way to get students writing. This would be a substitution, rather than using paper and pencil. But since it is timed, that could push it into augmentation. You see this program allows you to choose how long you wish to write 1 minute, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. If you stop for more than 5 seconds your writing disappears. This is great for brainstorming, helping kids to develop stamina who may lose interest in writing, and more. Emphasize that this program is more about fluidity and brainstorming – not content, grammar, or spelling. You can download to your computer after you are finished and then edit as necessary.
8:47– SHARE how to find gallery - Tool 41 – Symbaloo - 33 is another one that may not be new to you. The best tip that I can give you about Symbaloo is to check out the gallery of already created Symbaloos. You will find 1,000s of treasures! Symbaloo allows you to create webmixes, as shown on the slide. It is VERY user friendly. This is a great tool for all level of students. Even your non-readers can find the site they are looking for visually. You can change the background color of the tiles to differentiate for different math groups or reading levels. This tool alone could BE your class website resources. This product can be embedded. So if you already have a website, you could always add some helpful tools onto a Symbaloo and embed it for your students to use both in and out of the classroom.
8:49 – SHARE!! Readability Test Tool
Grades 1-12
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=13219
If you aren’t sure if a reading level of a particular site is too challenging for your students, check out the website’s readability using this tool. You can search by the url or copy/paste any text from any source. You get a score with various reading levels. Find reading materials at the level that your students are working. (visit to show WHY this matters). This is low on SAMR, but important and useful for teachers.
8:51 - Does anyone have any questions about the websites that have been shared?
8:52 – Let’s take a minute and go back and see if we can help anyone with struggles they are facing. Please comment on any problem that you may be able to solve. https://goo.gl/Lr67xg
8:53 - If you have an additional resources to share, please go to our padlet and add your idea
8:54 – Here is our link to sign-up to get our resources again, if you missed it in the beginning
8:55 – Thank you for joining me early this morning. Please keep in touch @SFLOK2Ask