Fresh Takes 4 Teachers
Last Weekend for Early Registration Discounts for Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp
The Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp is down to only ten seats remaining and only three days left to get the early registration discount. If
This Chrome Extension Helps You Tune Out Negativity on Social Media
I have long said (half jokingly) that YouTube comments are a lot like the graffiti you find on the walls of dive bar bathrooms. In
Where Do Baseball Fans Live? – Interactive Map
Despite the couple of games that the Mariners and Athletics played in Japan last week, Major League Baseball is calling today the opening day of
Weebly vs. Google Sites
One of the questions that I am frequently asked revolves around selecting a platform for making a classroom website. There are two tools for that
Change the Appearance of Any Page With Mozilla’s X-Ray Goggles
During the Best of the Web webinar that I hosted yesterday I mentioned Mozilla’s X-Ray Goggles product. It’s a great tool that lets you see
Google Earth and Maps Lessons for Five Subject Areas
Google Earth and Google Maps are two of my favorite educational technology tools that often are seen as only being useful for geography or history
Langscape – An Interactive Map of Languages
Langscape is an interactive map created at the Maryland Language Science Center. The Langscape interactive map displays more than 6,000 markers representing more than 6,000
Check Out the Periodic Table of iOS 12 Apps for Education
Mark Anderson, known as ICT Evangelist on Twitter, recently published a handy guide to educational iPad apps that are updated for iOS 12. The guide
Webinar Recording – Best of the Web 2019
This afternoon I hosted a free webinar in which I highlighted some of my favorite new and updated ed tech tools. During the webinar I
5 Tuesday Webinars in April
This year there are five Tuesdays in April. I’m hosting a Practical Ed Tech professional development webinar on each of those Tuesdays. You can register
Theme Poems and Shape Poems – Activities for Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month here in the United States. This is a good time to remind you or introduce you to a couple of
Six Good Lessons About Man’s Best Friend
As long-time readers of this blog know, I love dogs. Small dogs, big dogs, skinny dogs, and fat dogs, I love them all. And I
Free Webinar Tomorrow – Best of the Web 2019
The last few Wednesdays I have hosted a live Q&A session in which I answer questions from you, my awesome readers. Tomorrow, I’m going to
How to Measure Distance in Google Earth
Last year Google added a measuring tool to the web browser version of Google Earth (the desktop version always had one). While it worked, it
How to Create an Activity Tracker With Google Forms & Sheets
Last week I gave a presentation at the MACUL Conference titled 5 Ways to Blend Technology Into Outdoor Lessons. One of the topics within that
Lessons About the Making of Maple Syrup
Today is Maple Syrup Sunday here in Maine. This is always a welcome sign of spring. The method of collecting sap from maple trees has
Picture Books, Story Maps, and Emojis – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where I’m home after a few days in Detroit for the MACUL Conference. It was great to meet many of you
Make Trading Cards for Historical and Fictional Characters
Read Write Think Trading Cards is a free tool that students can use to create trading cards about people, places, and events both real and fictional. You
How to Manage Chrome Extensions & Google Docs Add-ons
Earlier this week during the Practical Ed Tech Live Q&A I addressed a topic that I have received a lot of questions about during the
The Story of the United States Told in 141 Interactive Maps
Manifest Destiny – The Story of The U.S. Told in 141 Maps is a great website developed by Michael Porath. As you probably guessed from the title
Things to Learn and Do at the Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp
For the last two days I have been featuring slides from my presentations at this week’s MACUL Conference in Detroit. Many of the things in
From Basic to Advanced Video Projects for Almost Every Classroom
My last presentation of the day the 2019 MACUL Conference was 5 Video Projects for Almost Every Classroom. Before the presentation started I introduced those
Introduction to AR & VR in Education
Worlds Are Colliding: Introduction to AR & VR in Education was my first presentation of the day today at the 2019 MACUL Conference. This presentation
Best of the Web – Spring 2019 Edition
This morning at the 2019 MACUL Conference I gave the latest edition of my popular Best of the Web presentation. It includes some of my
Fast & Fun Formative Assessment – Slides
I ended my day today at the 2019 MACUL Conference by giving a favorite presentation of mine, Fast & Formative Assessment. I always giving this
Resources & Ideas for Classroom Podcasting
The first presentation that I gave today at the 2019 MACUL Conference was all about podcasting. In the presentation I shared some research about the
5 Ways to Blend Technology Into Outdoor Lessons – Slides
Today, at the 2019 MACUL Conference I gave three presentations. The second of those presentations was 5 Ways to Blend Technology Into Outdoor Lessons. This
Recording of Yesterday’s Q&A
Yesterday afternoon I sat down to answer another batch of questions from you, my awesome readers! I broadcast the Q&A on my YouTube channel and
A New Way to Add Images to Google Sheets
Frequent Google Sheets users got a bit of welcome news yesterday. Google has added a new way to insert images into Google Sheets. Previously, the
Join Me Tomorrow for a Live Q&A
Tomorrow at 5pm Eastern Time I’ll be going live on my YouTube channel to answer another round of questions from readers like you. If you
Google Drive Will Soon Have a Priority Page
In case you haven’t noticed, Google knows a lot about what you’re doing in Google Drive. In fact, according to their latest announcement about Google
Short Lessons for the Arrival of Spring
The first chickadees and ducks of the spring have started to arrive in my neighborhood. Aside from the calendar, hearing the birds reminds us all
5 Ways to Tell Stories With Maps
Maps can be great tools for supporting nonfiction and fiction stories. Being able to see the greater context of a location can go a long
5 Free Tools for Creating Online Picture Books
This morning on Twitter Kathleen Morris asked me for some suggestions for free tools students can use to create picture books. She was looking for
Save Time by Creating Templates for Your Blog Posts
One of the reasons that I frequently hear given for not updating classroom or school blogs on a regular basis is “it takes too much
How to Add Emojis to Word Documents – And How to Use Them in a Lesson
Last summer Tony Vincent helped me see emojis as more than just annoying symbols that people use in text messages and social media posts. He
Pixabay Add-in for Word – A Quick Way to Add Images to Documents
Pixabay has been one of my go-to sources of high-quality images for years. The images on Pixabay are in the public domain which makes them
How to Create a Map-based Story With StoryMap JS
StoryMap JS is a free tool that comes from the same people that offer the popular multimedia timeline tool called Timeline JS. On StoryMap JS
Carmen Sandiego, Civics, and Sunshine – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where I am home after a week of working with some great teachers at the Sigsbee Charter School in Key West,
Are You Being Phished? – A Lesson from Google
Phishing Quiz With Google is an online activity for testing your ability to identify phishing emails. The activity begins when you enter a fake name
Now You Can Download Your Synth Podcasts
Synth is a free podcasting tool that I’ve been recommending since its launch last fall. It provides a simple way to create short podcasts that
Making Animoto Videos With Purpose
It was almost eleven years ago that I discovered Animoto during my lunch break between two ninth-grade world geography classes. That day I tried Animoto
SFS Kids – Lessons on Listening and Composing Music
SFS Kids is the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra’s website for kids. It is loaded with good activities for elementary school and middle school students. On SFS Kids students
Interactive Map – The Battle of Gettysburg
Decisive Moments at the Battle of Gettysburg is an interactive map hosted on Smithsonian.com. The map details events of the battle and the decisions made by
Three Pi Day Video Lessons
Today is Pi Day! March 14 or 3/14. Six years ago Numberphile published a couple of good videos about Pi. I shared them then and
Where On Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego? – A Great Geography Game
The theme song for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is an earworm for those of us who grew up in the 80’s or
Live Q&A Recording
This afternoon I hosted a live Q&A session on my YouTube channel in which I answered questions that had been submitted over the last week.
How to Make Appointment Slots in Google Calendar
All of this week I’m working with teachers in a charter school to help them improve their use of educational technology. Throughout the week I’m
Three Hands-on Pi Day Lessons
Tomorrow is Pi Day. If you’re looking from some Pi Day activities to do with your students, take a look at the following three activities
Live Q&A Tomorrow
Tomorrow at 5pm Eastern Time I’ll be going live on my YouTube channel to answer another round of questions from readers like you. If you
Pi Day Programming Lessons
Tynker is a service that offers programming lessons for elementary school and middle school students. I published a full overview of the service a couple
A New Look for Google Drive on iOS and Android
The Google Drive iOS and Android apps are getting a new look! As announced by Google earlier this afternoon, the apps are going to have
Eat & Move-o-Matic Encourages Healthy Eating and Exercise
Eat & Move-o-Matic by the Learning Labs Game at New Mexico State University is a free iPad app intended to help teachers and students get
Three Good Mobile Blogging Activities for Students
One of my favorite uses of iPads, Android tablets, and cell phones is mobile blogging. Blogging apps make it possible for students to record their
The Science of Surfing
The Physics of Surfing is a new TED-Ed lesson that was released this morning. The short lesson explains how waves are formed, why they get
A Great Series of Cyber Safety Videos for Students
This morning someone asked me for a recommendation for some good resources to help students learn cyber safety lessons. The first thing that came to
Nature Sound Map – Explore the Sounds of Nature
Nature Sound Map provides a neat way to explore the soundscape of the natural world. On the Nature Sound Map you will find placemarks containing recordings
More Than 3500 Free Civics Lessons
60 Second Civics has long been one of my go-to resources for lessons on U.S. civics and government. 60 Second Civics is a daily podcast produced
A Lesson About Milk
With two growing toddlers we go through a lot of milk at my house. Whole milk for my daughters and 1% or skim for me.
News and Add-ons – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where it’s not quite as frosty as it has been the last few weeks. According to the calendar spring is only
Tynker Offers a Good Way to Introduce Students to Programming
Tynker is a service that provides activities to help students developing coding skills. I first tried Tynker years ago and have watched it grow from
The Spanish-American War Animated
This post is a long overdue shout-out to MrBettsClass. Mr. Betts produces engaging animated history videos for students. In contrast to the deep-dives that Tom
Get a Copy of My Jeopardy Gameboard Google Slides Template
In a workshop that I led last week I introduced the concept of linking slides together within a set of Google Slides. That concept can
297 Google Tools Tutorial Videos
About four years ago I started to put forth a concerted effort to publish more tutorial videos on my YouTube channel. In that time I
How to Use Jamboard Without Owning a Jamboard
In Wednesday’s Practical Ed Tech Live episode I suggested having students use Google’s Jamboard to collaboratively create drawings. A couple people have emailed me to ask
Recording of Yesterday’s Live Q&A
Yesterday afternoon I hosted another edition of Practical Ed Tech Live! I answered a handful of questions from readers during the fourteen minute broadcast. The
5 Good Chrome Extensions for Teachers and Students
Now that I’ve run through my five favorite add-ons for Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, and Slides it’s time to share my favorite Chrome extensions for
Tom Richey Explains Tariffs
Tom Richey’s YouTube channel is a must-subscribe for AP history (European and U.S.) students and their teachers. He regularly posts engaging lectures about a wide
Now You Can Use Your Own VR Tours in Google Expeditions on iOS
A couple of weeks ago I published a video about how to use your own virtual reality tours in the Android version of Google Expeditions.
Here’s the Latest Thing I Learned About Myself Through Google Alerts
Like any good digital citizen I have Google Alerts set up for my name and related spellings of my name. Over the years I’ve learned
My Five Favorite Google Sheets Add-ons
Last week and through the beginning of this week I have been featuring my favorite Google Docs, Slides, and Forms add-ons. Today, it is time
How to Move Materials Between Your G Suite Accounts
Earlier this week a reader sent me the following question, “Do you have a suggestion for a way to move my folders from one Google
Spring Forward This Weekend!
This weekend those of us in North America who observe Daylight Saving Time have to move our clocks forward by one hour. This time around
The Answer to the Question I’m Asked More Than Any Other
I answer a lot of emails from readers who ask all kinds of questions about educational technology. One question that I answer more often than
5 Favorite Google Slides Add-ons
Last week I shared my favorite Google Forms add-ons. Yesterday, I shared my favorite Google Docs add-ons. So today I’m sharing my favorite Google Slides
How to Install Google Docs Add-ons Individually and School-wide
I’ve written about Google Forms and Google Docs add-ons in a coupe of recently posts. It occurs to me that if you’re new Google Docs,
My 5 Favorite Google Docs Add-ons
Last Friday I shared my five favorite Google Forms add-ons. That same day I posted a video featuring a convenient hack for speeding up the
Join Me on Wednesday for Practical Ed Tech Live!
Last week I hosted my first live Q&A session of the year. A handful of you sent me questions last week and I enjoyed answering
Five Good Places to Find Current Events Stories for Kids
For a couple of years I taught an elective that was all about current events. That was one of my favorite social studies teaching assignments
How to Create Featured Blog Posts
A couple of weeks ago, in anticipation of the Edublogs Student Blogging Challenge, I updated my chart of recommended classroom blogging tools. If you’re participating
Getting Started With the Smithsonian Learning Lab
The Smithsonian Learning Lab allows teachers to create and search for documents, images, videos, interactive animations, and lesson plans from a wide range of Smithsonian-hosted
Six New G Suite Features for Teachers and Students
Every month Google adds new features to G Suite. Some features only matter to administrators and some features only matter to business users. The complete
Google Has Improved Access to G Suite Accessibility Settings
One of the new G Suite features that was announced in February was an improvement in the way you can access the accessibility settings in
VR, Forms, and Storyboards – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where more snow is in the forecast! If you like to ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile it has been a fantastic winter.
How to Create & Use Canned Responses in Gmail
Whether it’s time for fun things like playing outside with our kids, time for the gym, or time to Netflix and chill, we all want
How to Save Time When Adding Comments to Google Docs
This morning I showed one of my favorite time-saving tricks to a great group of adult education teachers. The “trick” is to save time when
My 5 Favorite Google Forms Add-ons
This morning I led a small workshop about creative uses for Google Forms and Google Slides. As often happens during those workshops someone asked me
Weather, Whiteboards, and Adventure – The Month in Review
The end of February has arrived. How did the second month of the year go for you? It was a busy one for me as
How to Create Your First Website With Google Sites
There are lots of excellent tools for creating your first classroom website. I’m often asked which one is the best one to use. My usual
Recording of Yesterday’s Live Q&A
Yesterday afternoon I hosted the first Practical Ed Tech Live Q&A of 2019. I did about 25 of them in 2017 but didn’t do any
Metaverse Studio – Create Your Own Augmented Reality Learning Experiences
Metaverse Studio is a tool for creating your own augmented reality learning experiences. I have been using Metaverse since its launch almost two years ago.
Teaching Math With Storyboards
When I’ve hosted webinars about using storyboards the vast majority of attendees expressed interest in using storyboards for in language arts or social studies lessons.
VoicePods Adds a Multiple Voice Option
VoicePods is a text-to-speech service that I started using last fall. It’s a service that will create an MP3 file from any text that you
Flowcharts Explained by Common Craft – And How to Make Them
Common Craft has released a new explanatory video all about flowcharts. The new video explains what a flowchart is, why they are used, what they
How to Use Your Own VR Tours in Google Expeditions
Google’s VR Tour Creator is probably my favorite new tool of the last year. I love being able to make my own virtual reality tours
What Makes It Windy? – Lessons for Kids
The wind has been howling here in Maine for the last two days. As my daughter says, “it’s soooo windy.” She asked me this morning
Only Two Days Left! – Super-early Registration Discount for the Practical Ed Tech Summer Camp
It is bitterly cold here in Maine today. But summer will be here eventually and it will be glorious! The sun will rise early and
Find & Replace in Google Docs
I have a bunch of template documents that I keep in my Google Docs account. Whenever I have to use one I also use the
How to Use ClassHook’s New Pause Prompts Feature
ClassHook recently added a great feature to their educational video service. That feature is called Pause Prompts. Pause Prompts are short questions or discussion prompts