Fresh Takes 4 Teachers
From Student Agency to 200+ Mile Bike Rides
A couple of months ago I was invited to be a guest on Matthew Downing’s Diving Deep EDU podcast. We recorded it in the summer
Internet Archive Scholar – An Academic Version of the Internet Archive
The Internet Archive warehouses all kinds of fantastic materials (and some not-so-fantastic) that can be useful to teachers and students. The trouble with it is
How to Use Microsoft Forms for a Classroom Sign-in/ Sign-out Sheet
A couple of weeks ago I published a video about how to create a sign-in/ sign-out sheet to use in Google Classroom. A few people
“Whoa!” – This Is Why We Should Review Search Strategies Every Year
During last week’s episode of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff I shared a little story from earlier that day
Think Like a Coder – The Final Episode!
Last spring my freshmen class enjoyed TED-Ed’s Think Like a Coder series of videos. The final episode of the series was released a few days
MoocNote – Add Quizzes to Existing Videos
MoocNote is a free service that I’ve written about a few times in the past as a tool for collaborative note-taking while watching a video.
ICYMI – Episode 20 – Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff
Every Thursday at 4pm ET/ 1pm PT I join Rushton Hurley from Next Vista for Learning for a free webinar in which we answer questions
The Week in Review – Trolls, Jam, and YouTube
Good morning from Maine where I’m waiting for the sunrise on what is supposed to be another gorgeous fall day. I’m planning to play
Rank Country – Explore Mapped Demographic Data and More
Rank Country is a website that features datasets about education, healthcare, infrastructure, tourism, weather, and dozens of other topics. It is easy to browse
Cronobook – A Map of Historical Photographs
Cronobook is a new-to-me website that features a searchable map of historical photographs. The premise of the site is simple and using it is
Independent Project Inspiration
This fall in one of my computer science classes I’m reserving half of each class meeting for students to work on independent projects of their
Using Google Docs to Lead Small Group Discussions
Last week I received a question from a reader who wanted to know if I had any ideas for running small group discussions in a
Spot the Troll – Can You Spot Fake Social Media Accounts?
Spot the Troll is a quiz game that I recently learned about from Lee LeFever at Common Craft. Spot the Troll was developed by
Jamboard is Now Integrated Into Google Meet
Back in June Google started teasing the possibility of Jamboard being integrated into Google Meet. The possibility has come to fruition as yesterday afternoon
A Crash Course in Making & Teaching With Video
About a month ago I hosted a Practical Ed Tech webinar titled A Crash Course in Making and Teaching With Video. In the weeks since
Good Sets of Primary Source Documents About the American Revolution and More
The Massachusetts Historical Society has a great website that hosts collections of primary sources related to the American Revolution, founding families of the United States,
How to Recover an Archived Google Classroom
Last week I published an overview of how to add co-teachers to your Google Classroom classes. That post prompted a bunch of follow-up questions
Using YouTube to Share Lessons This Fall? – Settings and Tools You Need to Know About
This fall many of us are using YouTube more than ever before to share lessons with students. Whether those lessons are ones you recorded or
“Why Do We Have Fall?” – A Post Inspired by My Daughter
“Why do we have fall?” That was the question that my four year old asked while we were walking in the woods yesterday. It
The Google Science Journal App is Now the Arduino Science Journal
For the last few years the Google Science Journal app has been one of my favorite apps to incorporate into outdoor learning experiences. Earlier
The Week in Review – A Flashback to 2002!
Good morning from Maine where I’m up nearly two hours before sunrise. Yes, I wake up early. But it’s also a sign that summer is
GCF Learn Free – Excellent Tutorials for Computer Science Basics
GCF Learn Free is a website and YouTube channel that I discovered this week when looking for some new tutorial videos to post in
How to Protect Privacy When Publishing Recordings of Virtual Meetings
During yesterday’s episode of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff someone asked for a suggestion on how to blur or mask
How to Add Co-Teachers to Google Classroom
This afternoon I received an email from a reader who wanted to know if I had a video about what a substitute teacher added to
Resources for Teaching and Learning About the Colorful Leaves of Fall
Autumn is my favorite time of year. So much so that I wanted to name my younger daughter Autumn (vetoed by her mother). The crisp
Newspaper Navigator – A New Search Tool from the Library of Congress
This week the Library of Congress launched a new search tool called Newspaper Navigator. Newspaper Navigator is an index of 1.5 million images published in
Blurred Backgrounds and Custom Grids in Google Meet
Yesterday, I shared news about a new teacher control in Google Meet. Today, there are two more new Google Meet features to note. The latest
StudentCam 2021 – Student Documentary Contest
Every year C-SPAN hosts the StudentCam video contest for middle school and high school students in the United States. The 2020/21 version of the contest has been
Google Adds Another Control for Teachers Using Google Meet
Eleven days ago Google announced the launch of new Google Meet controls for teachers. Those new controls were the ability to specify who can or cannot
Ten Search Strategies Students Need to Know
Last week I hosted a Practical Ed Tech webinar titled Ten Search Strategies Students Need to Know. Afterwards I had many requests for accessing the
How to Create and Use a Digital Sign-out Sheet in Google Classroom
In the past, I’ve always been fortunate that I didn’t have “wanderers” who signed-out for the bathroom and never re-appeared. That’s largely due to the
Three Video Lessons That Are Full of Poop
SciShow Kids has long been one my favorite YouTube channels for elementary school science videos. It went on hiatus for a while then it came
Three Good Resources for Teaching Fact vs. Opinion
This afternoon I was talking with a few of my students about TikTok and its new relationship with Oracle. The course of that conversation brought
The Week in Review – The Most Popular Posts
Good morning from Maine where it is a crisp 31F outside as I await the sunrise while compiling this week’s list of the most popular
ICYMI – Episode 18 of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff
Every Thursday afternoon Rushton Hurley and I answer questions from readers like you during Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff. We
How to Use Jamboard in Google Classroom
Earlier this week I answered a question from a reader who wanted to know if it was possible to share Google Jamboard drawings through Google
How to Create Online Whiteboards, Share Them, and Monitor Them
Earlier this week I wrote a review of a new collaborative whiteboard tool called Whiteboard Chat. One of the highlights of Whiteboard Chat is the
Free Webinar Today at 4pm ET!
Every week Rushton Hurley from Next Vista for Learning and I host a free webinar simply named Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share
How to Use Classwork to Create & Share Online Assessments
Disclosure: Classwork is an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com Earlier this week I wrote an overview of a great new service called Classwork. Classwork lets you quickly
Video Puppet is Now Narakeet – Still Turns Slides Into Narrated Videos
Back in April I featured a neat service called Video Puppet that turns PowerPoint presentations into narrated videos. This morning I got an email notifying
Whiteboard Chat – Online Whiteboards You Can Share and Monitor
Whiteboard Chat is a free service that you can use to create collaborative whiteboards to use with your students. It is possible to use Whiteboard
Using a Bicycle as a Generator
This morning I welcomed my new students into my classroom. In talking with one of them I learned that he likes to tinker with old
Classwork- Quickly Create & Share a Variety of Online Activities
Disclosure: Classwork is an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com. As the new school year begins we’re all trying new things while also trying to maintain some semblance
Create an Online Philosophical Chairs Activity With Jamboard
Last week I got an interesting question from a reader named Chuck. I’m not sure that my answer or the question has broad appeal, but
An Easy Way to Make a Stop Motion Video
Disclosure: Cloud Stop Motion is currently an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com. Cloud Stop Motion is a free tool for creating stop motion videos in your web
The Week in Review – The Most Popular Posts
Good morning from Maine where it is a lovely morning filled with cool air just before sunrise. Sunrise is getting noticeably later these days as
Movies on Map – Discover the World Through a Map & Video Combination
I love maps and I love a good video so I had to explore Movies on Map when I saw it featured on Maps Mania.
Google Adds More Teacher Controls for Google Meet – Yay!
In terms of meeting controls Google Meet has lagged behind Zoom all year. Google is making efforts to close that gap. Last month they introduced
Add Science & Math Simulations to Google Sites
In the latest episode of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff I shared an update about a favorite math and science
Common Craft Explains Disinformation
Common Craft has released a new, timely video for this fall. The new video is Disinformation Explained by Common Craft. The new video explains what
An Overview of the New Google Images Search Options
Earlier this week Google updated and simplified the way in which you can find Creative Common licensed images through Google Images. I wrote an overview
How to Change Your Google Account Profile Picture
One of the ways that I can mark the start of the new school year is by the types of questions that get in my
Short Lessons on the History of Labor Day
This coming Monday is Labor Day in the U.S. For most of us it is a three day weekend. It is the traditional “end of
Google Updates and Simplifies Finding Creative Commons Licensed Images
When looking for public domain and Creative Commons licensed images to use in multimedia projects I generally recommend going to sites like Unsplash, Pixabay, and
How to Use Flipgrid With Students Who Don’t Have Email Addresses
Last week I shared a tutorial on how to get started using Flipgrid. That tutorial included the perspective of a teacher and a student. The
How to Change Google Drive Comment Notifications
On Monday I shared directions for using Google Drive to comment on shared videos. Yesterday, I received a follow-up question from a reader who wanted
How to Use Version History in Google Slides
Last week I received an email from a reader who wanted to know if there was a way to share a set of Google Slides
Watch You Watched in August
My YouTube channel has nothing but short screencast videos on it (mostly made with Screencast-o-matic) but it keeps growing. More than 28,0000 people now subscribe
The Month in Review – Back to School
Greetings from the Free Technology for Teachers world headquarters in Maine. It’s a sunny day here in Maine and great afternoon to soak up the
How to Use Google Drive to Comment on Videos
One of the great “hidden” features of Google Drive that is often overlooked is that you can comment on almost any file that you upload
Every U.S. Presidential Election Through 2012 Explained
Last week I featured a couple of videos about the Electoral College that Keith Hughes produced. Keith has many other excellent videos for U.S. Government
The Week in Review – The Most Popular Posts
Good evening from Maine where we had a cold and rainy late August day. It was a good day for making cookies (oatmeal chocolate chip)
How to Increase the Chances of Your Students Actually Watching Your Instructional Videos
On Friday I gave a couple of presentations at my school about ways to improve the chances that students actually watch the entirety of the
The Science of Cycling and the Tour de France
The Tour de France begins tomorrow, about two months after it was scheduled to begin. As an avid cyclist I enjoy watching it and I
Back-to-School Email Tips & Reminders
Every year at this time I share some cute videos intended to help students understand proper email etiquette. This year those lessons are going to
Getting Started With Flipgrid – Teacher & Student Views
In the last month I’ve shared videos about how to make split screen videos in Flipgrid and how to make whiteboard videos in Flipgrid. It
How to Use Remind to Send Messages to Multiple Classes at the Same Time
Yesterday I posted a video about how to get started using Remind to send text messages from your computer to students and their parents. This
How to Use Remind to Send Text Messages from Your Computer
Remind is a service for sending text messages to your students without having to reveal your real phone number. I’ve been recommending and using it
Free Webinar Tomorrow – Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff
Every week Rushton Hurley from Next Vista for Learning and I host Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff. The next episode
The Five Things I’ve Been Asked About the Most at the Start of the New School Year
Every week I receive dozens of emails from teachers asking me for advice on all kinds of things related to education and technology. Many of
A Handful of Videos to Help Students Understand the Electoral College
You can’t go to a news site today and not see something about the upcoming U.S. Presidential election. When you do go to those sites
Tools for Displaying YouTube Videos Without Distractions
On Monday I answered a question from a reader who was looking for some recommendations for tools to show YouTube videos without displaying the “related”
Certify’em Introduces New Features
Certify’em is a Google Forms add-on that I’ve been using and recommending for the last few years. Certify’em makes it quick and easy to send
How to Use Nicknames in Google Meet – And Why You Should Try It
One of the best features of Google Meet is one that is front and center at meet.google.com but is often overlooked or misunderstood. That feature
Three Ways for Students to Join Google Classroom
A few weeks ago Google announced the addition of some new features to Google Classroom. One of the features teased in that announcement was an
ICYMI – Get Your Free Copy of the 2020-21 Practical Ed Tech Handbook
Last week I published the sixth edition of my free Practical Ed Tech Handbook. This year’s edition includes new sections on accessibility and remote instruction
Webinar Recording – Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions
Every week Rushton Hurley and I sit down to answer questions and share cool stuff that we’ve found on the web. We do this in
The Week in Review – Where Did the Time Go?
Good morning from Maine where the air feels cool and crisp this morning. We had a couple of similar mornings earlier this week. And I
A Comics Activity as an Icebreaker
Disclosure: Pixton EDU is currently an advertiser on this blog. As the new school year begins you may find yourself looking for some new ways
Factitious 2020 – Can You Spot Fake News Stories?
In yesterday’s episode of Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff I shared some information about an update to a favorite resource
How to Include Videos in Microsoft Forms Response Feedback
Last week I shared directions on how to include videos in the answer feedback on questions in Google Forms. Microsoft Forms users can do a
Five Zoom Features You Need to Know
As the new school year gets going there is going to be a lot more Zoom calls in our future. At my school students are
Five Tips for Live Online Instruction
Whether you use Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams for online class meetings there are some universal things that you can do to make the
Five Features of Microsoft Teams to Note
This year I added a section on remote teaching to the Practical Ed Tech Handbook. What follows here is an excerpt from that section. Whiteboards:
13 Big Topics in the 2020-21 Practical Ed Tech Handbook
Earlier this week subscribers to my Practical Ed Tech Newsletter received notice that the 2020-21 version of my Practical Ed Tech Handbook is now available
How to Use Grid View in Google Meet – No Chrome Extensions Required!
For months teachers have asked for a grid view option in Google Classroom without having to use a Chrome extension. That wish is starting to
How to Create Split Screen Videos in Flipgrid
A couple of weeks ago Flipgrid introduced some new features and product changes for the 2020-21 school year. One of those changes was a slight relocation
ICYMI – Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff
Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions & Share Cool Stuff is a weekly webinar series that I do with Rushton Hurley from Next Vista for Learning.
Five Current Google Meet Features to Note
Last week Google announced a bunch of additional features that will be coming to Google Meet later this fall. Before those appear in your Google
How to Create, Share, and Collaborate on YouTube Playlists
As the school year begins you might find yourself looking through a lot of YouTube videos that you’ll share with your students throughout the coming
The Week in Review – The Most Popular Posts
Good morning from Maine where our recent heatwave has broken and it’s going to be a great weekend to enjoy the great outdoors. I’m planning
How to Direct Students to Videos Based on Answer Choices in Google Forms
This morning I answered an email from a reader who wanted to know if there was an easy way to direct students to videos based
Journey Into the Deep Sea – Neat Nat Geo VR Experience
Earlier this year I featured National Geographic’s fantastic playlist of 360 degree immersive videos that can be experienced with or without a virtual reality viewer.
Seven Zoom Tutorials to Watch Before School Starts
As the new school year approaches I’ve been getting a lot questions about Zoom. I have published some tutorials on my YouTube channel that address
Q&A With Me and Rushton Hurley Tomorrow at 2pm ET
Last week Rushton Hurley and I resumed our free weekly series Two Ed Tech Guys Take Questions and Share Cool Stuff. If you missed last
DIY Smithsonian Mini Exhibits
The Smithsonian Learning Lab is an excellent resource for social studies and language arts teachers. I’ve been using and recommending it for years. One of
Two Ways to Quickly Create Transcripts of YouTube Videos
About a week ago I hosted a webinar for an organization that hired me this summer and in the summer of 2018. The webinar was
New Google Classroom and Google Meet Updates to Note
This afternoon Google announced the launch of some helpful new Google Classroom features. Some of these were teased back in June. A couple of the
Novels on Location and an Ocean of Books
On Monday I featured three ways to explore the news through maps. I like the idea of using maps to give students some geographic context