Fresh Takes 4 Teachers
Five Warm-up Activities for Group Brainstorming Sessions
Yesterday morning I published a blog post and video about a new online brainstorming tool called Brainstormer. Writing that post reminded me of a set
A Collaborative Brainstorming and Voting Tool – No Registration Required
Brainstormer was my featured “cool share” during last week’s episode of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff. I chose to feature
Students Can Tinker With Web Apps on CodePen
Last week at the end of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff I briefly mentioned a site called CodePen that I’ve
New Text Overlay Options in Google Docs
Google has finally added a feature to Google Docs that many of us have been waiting a long time to see. That feature is the
A Virtual Tour of Washington With Dr. Jill Biden
Tomorrow at 1pm ET Discovery Education is hosting a free virtual field trip to Washington, D.C. for elementary school and middle school classrooms. The virtual
Short Lessons About Memorial Day
Next Monday is Memorial Day. Students often confuse the origin and purpose of Memorial Day with those of Veterans Day. The following videos can help
One Week Left!
The first session of the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp is just a month away. If you haven’t registered for the session of your
Grackle – Check Slide and Document Accessibility
This spring we have some grackles nesting in our hanging plants and in the eve of our covered back porch. Every morning I take a
Running Free Rivers
River Runner is a neat website that shows you how a drop of water travels from anywhere in the United States to the Atlantic Ocean,
ICYMI – Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff – Episode 37
Earlier this week Rushton Hurley and I hosted the 37th episode of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff. It was our
Maps, Certificates, and Brainstorms – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where it is going to be a warm and sunny day. Most importantly, the worst of the black fly (gnats) swarms
I Have an Idea for a Different Summer PD Experience
As you probably know, I’m hosting the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp again this year. From 2013 through 2019 I held it as an
Catchy Words – A Fun Augmented Reality App for Spelling Practice
My daughters recently became very interested in a PBS Kids show called Word World. In each episode of the show the characters build a new
A Math and Map Challenge
This evening while recording Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff I was reminded of a neat math and map challenge activity
Three Short Lessons About Algorithms That I Used This Week
This week in my Computer Science Principles course we’re talking about algorithms. We started the week with an introduction answering the question, “what is an
How to Make a Backup Copy of Your Blog
Last Friday evening a portion of the blogging community got a bit nervous when Blogger (Google’s blogging platform) started throwing up lots of error messages.
Twelve Good Tools for End-of-Year Review and Practice
The end of the school year is quickly approaching. At this time of the year I start to get a lot of requests for suggestions
Dotstorming Now Supports Video and PDF Uploads
Dotstorming is a collaborative brainstorming tool that I’ve used and written about for half of a decade or more. One of its key features is
Ten Big Topics at the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp
This summer I’m hosting the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp three times. There will be a June session, a July session, and an August
Brainstormer – A Collaborative Brainstorming and Voting Tool
Brainstormer is a new online brainstorming tool that is easy to use and helps solve the “what do we do now?” problem that often arises
Fling the Teacher! – A Fun Review Game
Fling the Teacher is a game that I mentioned briefly in this week’s Practical Ed Tech newsletter. If you’re not subscribed, here’s a recap of
Three Good Ways to Make Online Word Games
As we get toward the end of the school year many of us will be looking for some fun activities for our students to do
Slides, Moving, and Fun – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where it is going to be a gorgeous spring weekend! Last weekend we spent a lot of time outdoors and this
All About Plants – Three SciShow Kids Lessons
Spring has finally, fully arrived here in Maine. Our flowers are in full bloom and this weekend we’re putting together garden boxes for growing vegetables.
Mult.dev – A New Way to Quickly Make an Animated Map
Mult.dev is a new mapping tool that I recently learned about through Maps Mania. Mult.dev does just one thing but does it very well. That
Combine Canva and Classwork to Create Online Activities
Canva offers nearly two thousand worksheet templates for teachers to copy and modify. All of the templates can be downloaded as PDFs. You could print
How to Find Public Google Docs, Slides, Forms, Sheets, and Drawings
Last week I published an animated GIF of how to search by domain to find publicly shared Google Workspaces files. Over the weekend I was
The Differences Between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
One of the ten big topics to be covered in detail during the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp is how to use augmented reality
Moving Files Between Google Workspaces Accounts
It’s that time of the year when some people are winding down their time in one school district in anticipation of a summer break before
Ten Tips for Using Audio and Video in Google Slides
Besides looking at the calendar and my own students’ behavior, the other way I know the school year is winding down is the uptick in
Three Good Options for Drawing on Digital Maps
Creating layers and tours in Google Earth and Google My Maps can be a great way for students to assemble collections of geolocated information to
How to Embed Word Documents Into a Blog or Website
One of last week’s most popular posts was this one highlighting my favorite “hidden” features of Office 365 tools. To start this week I have
Pictures, Wolves, and Code – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where the sun is rising on what promises to be a fantastic Mother’s Day weekend. Happy Mother’s Day to all the
ICYMI – Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff – Episode 36
Every other week my pal Rushton Hurley from Next Vista for Learning and I get together to host the plainly-titled Two Ed Tech Guys Take
Google Arts & Culture + Apple Classroom
Google is ending support for Google Expeditions on June 30th. A few weeks ago I shared a short list of alternatives to Google Expeditions. In
Knowt Now Offers Public Galleries of Notes, Flashcards, and Quizzes
Knowt is a neat service that I’ve featured a few times over the last couple of years. It’s a service that will automatically generate flashcards
The Question I’m Asked the Most
I get lots of questions sent to me every week. There is one that I get asked more frequently than any other. That is, “what
CodePen – See How Web Apps Come Together
CodePen is a code editing environment in which students can see how HTML, CSS, and JavaScript work together to form web applications. As you can
Strange Borders – A Geography Lesson
Yesterday afternoon I read an interesting article titled Belgian Farmer Accidentally Moves French Border. The whole story is almost exactly what the title says. A
Wolves in My Yard and Penguins in My House! – Fun With Augmented Reality in Search
Thanks to where I live and the amount of time that I’ve spent hiking, camping, fly fishing I have slightly more experience seeing wildlife like
Ten Good Tools for Telling Stories With Pictures
This is an update to a blog post that I published six years ago on this topic. Some of the tools in the original post
How to Find Published Google Workspaces Files
Refining Google searches according to domain is one of my favorite ways to get students to look beyond the first couple of pages of their
My Ten Favorite “Hidden” Office 365 Features
Last week my most popular post on Free Technology for Teachers was this one highlighting my favorite features of Google Workspaces that are frequently overlooked.
Blackbird Code – Overview and First Impressions from My Students
Last week I published a written overview of a new learn-to-code platform called Blackbird. In short, Blackbird is a platform that is trying to bridge
Zoom, Voice, and April Showers – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where we’re hoping for some sunshine after a few rainy days. Either way, I’m going for a long bike ride today
Three Simple Ways to Publish Online Writing Without Creating a Blog
On a fairly regular basis I get asked for recommendations for starting blogs. My advice is that using a self-hosted WordPress blog is the way
Geese, Comments, and Games – The Month in Review
Good morning from Maine where the sun is trying to rise through the rain on the last day of April. This month was a busy
What is Hotlinking? – Why You Should Avoid It
This morning I had a chat with a colleague who was having a little issue with his website not displaying the images that he was
Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp FAQs
Last week I announced the dates for the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp. A bunch of people have already registered. Many more people have sent
7 Interesting Features You Can Add to Google Sites
Last week Google sent out a notice reminding domain administrators that the end of the classic version of Google Sites is near. That prompted me
New Map-based History Lessons from DocsTeach
DocsTeach is one of my go-to resources for history teachers. I like it so much that I feature it in my Teaching History With Technology course.
Sherlock Bones – A Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection Activity
One of the great things about living where I do is that a walk in the woods is always just a few steps away. One
Three Tips to Get More Out of Webinars
Back in 2007 or 2008 I watched a professional development webinar for the first time. I can’t remember exactly what the webinar was about (it
How to See What’s Hidden Behind a TinyURL
Last week I wrote a blog post about how to see what’s hidden behind a Bitly shortened URL without actually clicking on the link. The
Zoom Now Offers a Cool Immersive View
Are you tired of looking at the same old view in your Zoom meetings? You’re not alone! It appears that even the people who work
Birdcams for Spring Observations
We have robins and finches nesting in the hanging plants on our porch and in the eave of our garage. This morning when I let
How to Add Voice Recordings to Google Forms
Earlier this year I shared a series of videos about how to add voice comments to Google Documents, Google Slides, and Google Classroom. All of
Spaces Digital Portfolios Emphasize Feedback and Growth
Disclosure: Spaces is an advertiser on this blog. A couple of months ago I published a detailed overview of a digital portfolio platform called Spaces.
Ten Google Workspaces Features for Teachers You Might Be Overlooking
Google Workspaces (formerly known as G Suite, Google Apps, and just plain Google Drive) has a lot of great features for teachers and students. Some
Writing, Rain, and Logic – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where my school vacation week is winding down with a return to some typical spring weather. Earlier this week I used
Blackbird Fills a Gap in Programming Instruction
Blackbird is a new platform for teaching programming to middle school and high school students. Blackbird is positioning itself as a platform that fills the
DIY Wind Turbines and How They Work
Earlier this week TED-Ed published a new lesson titled How Do Wind Turbines Work? The video covers the basics of how the turbines harness the power
Join Me for the 2021 Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp
For many years teachers from all over the world came to Maine join me for the Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp. While I was hoping
What’s Hidden Behind a Bitly Link?
Bitly is a handy URL shortener that I’ve used for many years. As a registered user I can create custom, shortened URLs that people can
How to Change Camera and Microphone Access Settings in Chrome
On a fairly regular basis I get questions from readers that go something like this, “I’m trying to use Flipgrid but my camera won’t work.
How to Identify Which Version of Google Sites You’re Using
A couple of days ago I wrote about the impending deprecation of the classic version of Google Sites and how to transition to the new
The Old Version of Google Sites is Finally Shutting Down – Here’s How to Use the Current Version
For nearly five years now Google has been saying that the old, “classic” version of Google Sites would be closing “soon.” It appears that they
Tools to Help Students Analyze Their Own Writing
Like many of my students, I’m often guilty of writing in a rush. Doing that leads to three bad habits that appear in my writing.
Five Tools for Staying On Task
It’s school vacation week here in Maine. I have a long list of things that I want to accomplish on this blog and on Practical
48 Videos and a Poster About Critical Thinking and Logical Fallacies
Last week TED-Ed released a new video lesson titled This Tool Will Help You Improve Your Critical Thinking. As I wrote last week, I almost
Braingenie is Shutting Down – Transition to CK-12
Braingenie is a service that the CK-12 Foundation has offered for free for many years. It provided online practice activities addressing concepts in math and
A Handful of Resources for Learning About the Start of the American Revolution
Tomorrow is Patriots’ Day here in Maine, in Massachusetts, and in a handful of other states. It’s a day to mark the anniversary of the
A Handful of Alternatives to Google Expeditions
As I mentioned on Friday, Google is shutting down Tour Creator at the end of June. They’re also shutting down Google Expeditions at the end
Games, Canva, and Comments – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where at this time last week it was sunny and 60 degrees. Today, it’s snowy and 28F. Such is life in
How to View Timelapse Imagery in Google Earth
This week Google made a big announcement about the introduction of new timelapse imagery to the web version of Google Earth. The imagery is part
Quickly Cite Websites With Bibcitation’s Chrome Extension
Earlier this week I published a blog post about Bibcitation’s new Chrome extension for quickly citing websites. Some of its key features include automatic formatting
ICYMI – Episode 35 of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff
Yesterday afternoon Rushton Hurley and I hosted the 35th episode of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff. We had lots of
Tour Creator is Closing – Here Are Some Alternatives
Like thousands of other people, this week Google sent me a reminder that Tour Creator is shutting down at the end of June. I’ve enjoyed
12 Good Resources for Learning About National Parks
Tomorrow is the start of National Parks week here in the United States. So I’ve put together the following list of resources to help students
How to Quickly Duplicate and Sort Jamboard Pages
Jamboard has a lot of handy features and neat uses for in-person and online instruction. I recently outlined a bunch of them in this blog
How to Score Google Forms Questions That Have Multiple Correct Responses
This afternoon I answered an email from a reader who was having a little trouble with Google Forms. She was trying to create a quiz
Spark Interest in Local History With These Digital Newspaper Archives
When I was a kid I did yard work for an elderly widow who had stacks of old newspapers magazines that she and her husband
Bibcitation’s New Chrome Extension Makes It Easy to Create Citations
A few weeks ago I published an overview of seven free tools that help students create bibliographies. Bibcitation was one of the tools in that
How to Add Audio to Classwork Activities – And Integrate Google Classroom
Disclosure: Classwork is an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com As I wrote last week, Classwork recently introduced a bunch of new features for turning your PDFs and
Improving Your Critical Thinking – A New TED-Ed Lesson
This Tool Will Help You Improve Your Critical Thinking is a new TED-Ed lesson that provides viewers with an introduction to the Socratic method. The
19 Canva Tutorials for Teachers and Students – Certificates, Comics, and More!
I’ve been using Canva to make all kinds of graphics and presentations almost since the day it was first available to the public. Over the
Ten Topics Covered in Teaching History With Technology
The next session of my popular Teaching History With Technology course begins tomorrow. There is still time to register right here. There are ten big
Create Outdoor Bingo Games
I originally shared this video on my Ed Tech Fitness blog. The reaction there has been good so I thought that I should give it
How to Quickly Record Voice and Video Messages in Gmail
Sometimes it is easier, faster, and more effective to record a video or audio reply to an email than it is to type a response.
Photos, Poetry, and History – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where it is going to be another gorgeous spring day. We’ve been lucky to have a bunch of nice days this
12 Fun, Challenging, and Interesting Geography Games for Students
Last year I published a list of geography games for students. Since then I’ve come across a few more interesting geography games and one that
Loom Adds Transcriptions and Captions
Loom is one of my favorite Chrome extensions for making short tutorial videos. In the last year I’ve made a few tutorials about different ways
ICYMI – Intro to Teaching History With Technology – Webinar Recording
Earlier this week I hosted a free webinar titled Intro to Teaching History With Technology. In the webinar I introduced my Discovery, Discussion, Demonstration framework
Five Collections of Historical Maps
As I mentioned in my previous post, reading this new BBC article about the rediscovery of the first 3D map in Europe prompted me to
A Video Tour of 17th Century London in 3D
This morning I read a BBC article about the rediscovery of the oldest 3D map in Europe. The map is a roughly 5 x 6.5
Classwork Adds More Features to Make Your Online Lessons Better
Disclosure: Classwork is an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com. Back in September I wrote a lengthy piece about a new service called Classwork that was made by
Activities for National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month. I forgot all about it until this morning when I looked at my video about using Google Jamboard to create magnetic
Handy Microsoft Forms Settings for Teachers
On Monday I shared a video that demonstrated how to use videos in quizzes created with Microsoft Forms. That video is one of four that
A Handful of Jamboard Tutorial Videos
Last week I posted a video that contained a quick overview of five Jamboard features that are helpful to teachers and students. That was just