Fresh Takes 4 Teachers
Now You Can Include Google Slides In a Google Document
Inserting charts from Google Sheets has been an option in Google Documents for quite a while. This week Google added the option to add a
Animated Map of First Foliage Appearances
Last Friday I was in Greenwich, Connecticut to give a presentation. Greenwich is roughly 300 miles south of my home in Maine. Greenwich was in
Enable These Google Forms Settings to Save Time When Making Quizzes
Making quizzes and giving quizzes is a common use of Google Forms. If you have ever built a quiz and given it to your students
5 Good Resources for Teaching & Learning About Mount Everest
April and May is considered to be the peak climbing season in the Himalaya Mountains. Of course, the most famous of those mountains is Everest.
See What’s New in Microsoft EDU
About a month ago I shared the news of the addition of a picture library to Microsoft’s Immersive Reader add-in for Word, OneNote, Outlook, and
Google Adds New Security Features to G Suite for Education
This morning Google made a couple of significant announcements regards G Suite for Education. First, there is a new G Suite Enterprise for Education which
G Suite Training for Individuals and Groups – On Sale Now!
As you start to plan for your summer professional development needs, think about the benefits of self-paced, online courses. You can start and finish the
The Value of Paper In a Digital World
One of the things that I mention in my keynote Leading Students In a Hyper-connected World is the need to teach students the value of occasionally disconnecting
Novels on Location – A Map of Novels
Novels on Location is a neat of use Google Maps. The idea behind Novels on Location is to help readers find novels according to the story’s geographical settings.
Hacking a “Hacking STEM” Project
In Sunday’s Practical Ed Tech Tip of the Week email I featured Microsoft’s Hacking STEM project library. The idea behind Hacking STEM is to make
A Replacement for the Deprecated “Announcements” Element in Google Sites
Google’s replacement of the classic version of Google Sites with a new version has left some people wishing that Google had left Sites well enough
Podcast Recording and Editing Tips
Podcasting has made a resurgence in recent years. Many teachers are now including podcasting projects in their classrooms. Edublogs recently published a great guide to
How to Create a Custom Google Forms Theme
A couple of years ago I published a video tutorial on how to create a custom Google Forms theme. More than 10,000 people have since
Find the Features of Digital Vaults in DocsTeach
The U.S. National Archives used to have a great feature called the National Archives Digital Vaults. The Digital Vaults site offered great tools for teaching
2000+ Recordings of Poets and Fiction Writers Reading and Discussing Their Work
A few years ago the Library of Congress published an online collection of audio recordings of poets and fiction writers reading and discussing their works.
DIY Solar Updraft Tower – A Hands-on Elementary Science Lesson
SciShow Kids has a playlist of videos titled Super Simple Machines. The videos in that playlist feature explanations and demonstrations of simple machines that students
By Request – Life on Minimum Wage Simulation
Last week I received a handful of requests for the Google Docs version of my Life on Minimum Wage economics game. While I no longer
My Go-to Tool for Making Stop Motion Movies
Update October 2020: This resource is no longer available. This evening I received an email from a reader who was looking for a free tool
Spark, Parks, and Jeopardy – The Week in Review
Good evening from Maine where it is snowing, again. This week was a classic spring week in Maine in which we had both sunshine and
Tube – A Distraction-free Way to Search and Watch YouTube
Tube is a new tool providing a minimalist view of YouTube. When you go to Tube all you will see is “Tube,” a disclaimer, a
National Geographic Publishes Fun Facts About All National Parks
As the weather warms in North America more visitors arrive in the 59 U.S. National Parks. Acadia National Park here in Maine is crowded in
A Crash Course in Taxes
The deadline to file income tax returns here in the U.S. is less than one week away. If you have high school students, some of
5 Good Resources for Teaching and Learning About the American Revolution
This coming Monday is Patriots’ Day. It is an official state holiday here in Maine, in Massachusetts, and in Wisconsin. The day commemorates the Battles
Now You Can Add Custom Links to Google Sites Navigation Bar
At first I wasn’t thrilled with the switch from the old version of Google Sites to the new one. That was largely due to the
Jungle Jeopardy – A Game About Ecosystems
Jungle Jeopardy is an online game produced by PBS Kids for students in first through fourth grade. In the game students have to construct a
5 Features of OneNote That You Won’t Find in Google Keep
Earlier this year I shared that I have moved almost all of my online bookmarking and note-taking to OneNote. That’s not to say that don’t
Reminder – Free Common Craft Webinar Today
Today, at 2pm Eastern Time, Lee LeFever from Common Craft is hosting a free webinar about how they make their popular explanatory videos. During the
JuxtaposeJS – Create Side-by-Side Comparison Frames
JuxtaposeJS is a free tool for making and hosting side-by-side comparisons of images. The tool was designed to help people see before and after views
An Animated Map of the Rise and Fall of Communism
The Spread of Communism is an animated map that shows the rise and fall of communism from 1917 through 2017. When you visit the map
Todost – A Simple Task Management Tool
Todost is a free and simple tool for keeping track of items on your to-do list. To make a list just go to the website
I Don’t Hate TPT
Last Friday on Practical Ed Tech I published an announcement of my new webinar How to Ditch TPT & Sell Your Digital Products. Over the
PrepFactory Offers Individualized SAT, ACT, PARCC, and SBAC Prep
Disclosure: PrepFactory is a long-time advertiser and supporter of FreeTech4Teachers.com PrepFactory began as a free service providing SAT and ACT review videos. In 2017 they
5 Ways to Use YouTube Live in School
Last week I shared how to create a live broadcast from your laptop by using YouTube’s new live broadcasting option in the Chrome web browser.
Publishing an Example of Copyright Infringement
Update: after filing a DMCA takedown notice, this copyright infringement issue was resolved. Thanks to a friendly reader, I was tipped-off to the latest case
Adobe Launches Spark for Education
Earlier this year at the BETT Show Adobe announced that they would launching a new version of Adobe Spark designed specifically for school use. That
YouTube Makes Copyright Clear as Mud
Larry Ferlazzo recently shared a video that YouTube produced about options for using music in videos. The video started out well but quickly became a
Sympathy for Padlet
Last week when Padlet‘s founder and CEO Nitesh Goel announced the changes to Padlet’s pricing model the online ed tech community was upset. Some of
NASA’s Interactive Guide to the Solar System
I have been reviewing and sharing sharing resources from NASA for almost as long as this blog has existed. Somehow, I missed NASA’s Solar System
How I Keep the Lights On
A little more than ten years ago I was where a lot of teachers find themselves at one point or another. I loved teaching but
What Makes a Poem? – A Lesson for Poetry Month
This is National Poetry Month. “What is a poem?” might be the first question that students ask after, “why is it National Poetry Month?” The
Padlet, QR Codes, and Body Odor – The Week in Review
Good evening from Maine where the sun is setting on a productive day. Today, I was able to pack up the tools that I’ve been
Dimensions – An Academic Research Engine
When it comes to searching for research studies and other academic articles many people turn to Google Scholar. But as your friendly librarian will tell
Listen to Padlet’s CEO Explain Recent Changes
This week Padlet announced some big changes to their pricing structure. This came as a surprise to many long-time users of the service. As I
New Science Lesson Plans from Storyboard That
Disclosure: Storyboard That is an advertiser on this blog. Storyboard That is known for its excellent storyboard creation tools. In addition to continuously developing new
How to Find & Make OneNote Templates
The more that I use it, the more I think that OneNote is a fantastic all-in-one product for note-taking, bookmarking, and general organization of your
What Causes Body Odor? – A TED-Ed Lesson
What Causes Body Odor? is a new TED-Ed lesson that every middle school health teacher will want to bookmark. The lesson explains where body odor
Unsplash for iPad – Quickly Add Public Domain Pictures to Keynote & iMovie
Unsplash is one of my favorite places to find high quality pictures to use in presentations. This week Unsplash launched a new iOS app. The
Google Drive is Not Going Away
In the last 18 hours three people have emailed me with a concern that Google Drive is going away. To be clear, Google Drive is
5 More Alternatives to Padlet
Almost overnight 5 Alternatives to Padlet became one of my most popular posts of the year. Many of you Tweeted and emailed me to suggest
Monet Was Here – Take a Google Earth Tour of Monet’s Works
Monet Was Here is a new exhibit on Google Arts & Culture. The exhibit coincides with the opening of a new Monet exhibit at the
How to Quickly Create a Livestream on YouTube
YouTube used to have a built-in option for creating a video with the webcam built into your laptop. That feature went away a couple of
5 Alternatives to Padlet
For the last 24 hours the Twittersphere has been buzzing about the recent changes to Padlet. While none of the following tools have as many
Padlet Makes a Big Change to Free Plan
Padlet is a tool that I have used and recommended for many years. In the last year the folks at Padlet have introduced a slew
ReCall Study Time – An Extension to Get You Back on Task
ReCall Study Time is a Chrome extension that is designed to help you stop wasting time on social media sites and get back on task.
Edublogs Publishes an Extensive Guide to Classroom Podcasting
Podcasting has had a resurgence over the last couple of years. Part of that resurgence is due to the increase in easy-to-use tools for creating
Realtime Board – Collaborative Whiteboard With Change Tracking and Voting
Realtime Board is an online whiteboard tool that I have been recommending for the last half-dozen years. At its basic level Realtime Board provides a
Poetry Lesson Plans Incorporating Word Mover
April is National Poetry Month. This is a great time to remind you of Read Write Think’s Word Mover app for iOS, Android, and web
Fast Advanced Google Search
Google’s advanced search tools can help students find useful information that doesn’t necessarily appear at the top of search results pages. Unfortunately, students often forget
By Request – 5 Task Management Tools for Students
This morning I received an email from a reader seeking suggestions for to-do list management tools her students can use to keep track of assignments
Reminder – The Library of Congress Seeks a Teacher-in-Residence
Last month the most visited post on this blog was the announcement that the Library of Congress is seeking a teacher-in-residence for the 2018-19 school
How to Quickly Create a QR Code for Almost Anything
Over the weekend I shared the news that Google is shuttering the Goo.gl service. In that post I shared a handful of alternatives to Goo.gl.
Two Easy Ways to Create Printable Storyboard Templates
Next week Common Craft is hosting a free webinar about their video creation process. I attended one of their webinars last summer. In that webinar
The Lives of Teenagers and Soldiers in Ancient Rome
One of the earliest TED-Ed lessons was about teenage life in Ancient Rome.The video and its associated questions feature the story of seventeen year old
Three Earth Day Resources
Earth Day is coming up in a few weeks. Here are a few resources that you might consider incorporating into your Earth Day lesson plans.
Math, Newspapers, Animations – March in Review
March has come and gone. Today was a nice Sunday to play outside with my older daughter. In walking the back edge of our property
Goo.gl Is Being Shut Down – 5 Alternatives
Thanks to a Tweet from Tony Vincent I learned that Google announced the impending closure of the Goo.gl URL shortening service. It has been a good
Quickly Summarize Long Articles With SummarizeThis
SummarizeThis is a free tool that will quickly create a summary of long passages of text. To use SummarizeThis you just copy and paste text
How to Generate Random Story Starters In Google Sheets
Flippity offers great Google Sheets templates that can be used for all kinds of things from random name selection to progress tracking to generating random
Food, Timers, and Search – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine from where the wind is howling and the sun has not yet risen. Why am I up so early on a
Vintage Travel Posters, Advertisements, and Films
In my post about Seward’s Folly I included the image of a vintage advertisement for an Alaskan cruise on Canadian Pacific. That poster came from
Seward’s Folly Lesson Plan
Thanks to this Tweet from the Library of Congress I was reminded that today in 1867 was the day that the United States purchased Alaska
This Periodic Table Shows Elements By Country and Date of Discovery
On Tuesday morning I shared a collection of seven good resources to help students learn the Periodic Table of Elements. The next day Open Culture
In Case You Missed It – Ten Search Strategies Students Need To Know
Yesterday 60 people joined my live presentation of my Practical Ed Tech webinar titled Ten Search Strategies Students Need To Know. More than a few of
5 Good Story Starters for Students
On Tuesday morning I shared the idea of using the Story Dice apps (available for iOS and Android) as writing prompts or story starters for
NoteStreaming 101 – What You Need To Know To Get Started
Earlier today on Twitter I posted a question about notebooks. Specifically, I wanted to know who still uses physical notebooks and, if so, if there
Free Webinar – Behind the Scenes at Common Craft
When it comes to producing clear explanations of tricky topics, no one is better than Lee and Sachi LeFever at Common Craft. Their videos, featuring
The Basics of Creating a Quiz in Google Forms
Years ago I published a slideshow that demonstrated how to create a quiz in Google Forms. Even though that slideshow is now outdated, I still
Pixabay Videos – How Have I Been Overlooking This?
Thanks to Anthony St. Jean last night I learned that Pixabay hosts public domain videos that you can download for free. It’s an option that
Everything That Apple Announced Yesterday – In Under Three Minutes
In case you missed it yesterday, Apple had a big marketing education event in Chicago. MacRumors made this video to summarize all of the things
Three Search Tools Students Often Overlook
Google is the default search engine for many students. In fact, if your students have Chromebooks and the school has set Google as the default
How to Create Animations With ABCya Animate
ABCya Animate is a free tool that students can use to create animations. It can be a great tool for elementary school and middle school
Story Dice – Roll the Dice to Get a Story Starter
Story Dice is the name of two different, but similar apps that can be used to generate creative writing prompts. Story Dice for iOS is
Seven Good Resources to Help Students Learn the Periodic Table
Learning the periodic table of the elements is not one of my fondest memories of high school, but it was a necessary experience to get
Three Mistakes Students Make In Online Research
Whether it’s a simple question or a complex research task, the first thing students do is turn to Google for help. They might type a
5 Brainstorming Warm-up Activities
Ethos3 is a presentation design company that has worked with some of the biggest name brands in the world. The Ethos3 Slideshare channel is a
Chrome Tablets And Cheaper iPads Are Worthless!
Now that I have your attention with that clickbait headline, I have some thoughts to share about the new Chrome OS tablet that Google announced
This TED-Ed Lesson Is Full of …!
Why Isn’t the World Covered In Poop? is the latest video lesson published by TED-Ed. With a title like that, how could you not be
One of the Biggest Violators of YouTube’s TOS Changes Its Tune
As I shared in a post earlier this month, downloading videos from YouTube via a third party tool is a violation of YouTube’s terms of
This Looks Like a Great Hands-on PD Experience
FireWorks is an educational program, sponsored in part by the U.S. Forest Service, designed to teach students about the science of wildfires. This morning I
Making and Understanding Paper Airplanes
Making and Understanding Paper Planes is a short video that was produced by students for Next Vista’s Creative Flight video contest. Like a lot of
5 TED-Ed Lessons About How the Food We Eat Affects Our Bodies
This morning while my daughter was napping I went down the rabbit hole of YouTube related videos. It started out as a simple search for
Zanifesto – Nice Infographic Design Templates
A couple of weeks ago I shared the Cool Infographics list of tools for making infographics. In that list of tools I found a new-to-me
STEM, Music, and Spring – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where spring is in the air and lots of snow is still on the ground. Some of my favorite days of
Stop Making Videos While Driving
YouTube and Facebook are filled with people publishing selfie videos that were recorded while driving. I don’t know why this type of video is popular.
Video – An Overview of How to Find & Keep Track of Free Audio Files
Over the last couple weeks I’ve published a series of posts featuring free sources of audio files that you can download for re-use in your
How to Share Kahoot Challenges Through Remind
This week Kahoot announced an integration with the Remind messaging service. This integration lets you send your Kahoot Challenges (games for students to play at
Use a Whiteboard in Skype Interviews
Skype Interviews is a free Microsoft service that was developed for employers to use to interview potential employees. It was specifically designed with coders and
Longer and Better Searches – Strategies Students Need to Know
Too often our students don’t get beyond the first few pages of search results before declaring, “Google has nothing about this!” Why? Because the average
5 Online Collaborative Whiteboard Services
An online, collaborative, whiteboard can be a great tool for hosting a quick review session for your students. Your students can also use these tools