Fresh Takes 4 Teachers
Kahoot Now Lets You Share Games Through Remind
Last fall Kahoot released a new feature called “Challenges” that are review games your students can play at home or anytime they are outside of
Quizalize Announces a Game Design Competition for Students
Quizalize is one of my favorite services for creating and running review games for your students to play in your classroom or at home. Now
Picture Dictionary and Custom Colors Added to Immersive Reader
Microsoft’s Immersive Reader just might be my favorite accessibility tool. This free add-in for Word, OneNote, Outlook, and Edge enables students to have articles read
Notion – A Project Management and Reference Wiki
Notion is an interesting service that combines elements of project management with elements of a wiki service. At its core Notion is designed for teams
Scratchwork.io – A Video Whiteboard for Math Students
Scratchwork is a new online whiteboard and video conferencing tool designed with math students in mind. The platform works like many similar services as it
Draw Chat – Free Video Conferencing With a Whiteboard
Draw Chat is a free service that allows anyone to create a video chat over a whiteboard, PDF, image, or map. To use Draw Chat
ZapSplat – Thousands of Free Sound Effects
ZapSplat is a website that offers more than 20,000 sound effects and songs that you can download and re-use for free. The licensing that ZapSplat
ABCya! Offers 24 Tutorials for Fun Hands-on Projects
ABCya! is best known for its huge collection of educational games like these typing games. This evening I went directly to ABCya’s homepage where I
ICYMI – 5 Video Projects for Almost Every Classroom
Last week over on PracticalEdTech.com I hosted a webinar titled 5 Video Projects for Almost Every Classroom. Nearly 100 teachers joined that live webinar. If
A Hands-on Science Lesson for the Spring
When I was in Kindergarten we grew marigolds in Styrofoam cups and took them home in spring (probably for Mother’s Day, but my mother will
How to Find Free Music for Classroom Projects
Dig CC Mixter is a good place to find music for use in classroom projects like videos and podcasts. The music that you will find
How Do Trees Survive Winter
It has been a long, cold winter here in Maine. Some of the snow storms have taken their toll on the trees including the one
Spring?! – Three Short Lessons About Seasons
It might not feel like it to many of us, but tomorrow is the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. If you’re looking
Take a Look at This Year’s Explore.org Wildlife Cams
Explore.org offers a fantastic collection of live nature webcam feeds. In the gallery of live webcams you will find video feeds featuring owls in their nests,
Tips for Creating Strong Passwords – And Don’t Forget to Change Them
This afternoon I was in a little knick-knack shop when I came across a little notebook that had a cover page titled “online organizer.” Inside
Sharalike – Quickly Create Audio Slideshows
Sharalike is a free iOS, Android, and web app that makes it easy to create audio slideshow videos. To create an audio slideshow video with
Draw and Tell – Great App for Simple Digital Stories
This afternoon, for the first time ever, I let my toddler use my iPad. I hadn’t planned on letting her play with it, but I
Create Your Own Typing Games
Two of the most popular posts of the month so far have included typing games. One of those posts featured ABCya’s free typing games and
TinyTap – Create Image Reveal Games and Identification Games
This morning I answered an email from a reader who was looking for a way to create educational games in which students have to correctly
Jamendo Can Help Students Understand Copyright
Copyright is one of the topics that I always cover in my webinars and workshops about making videos with students. The subtopic under copyright that
Images, Videos, and Snow – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where I’ve cleared out the snow just in time for another snow storm. We’ve had 30″ of new snow fall in
Now You Can Add a Custom Favicon to Your Google Site
Now that Google is allowing you to embed third-party content into your Google Site, it’s time to update your site with a custom favicon. The
How to Add an Image Search Box to Google Sites
Late last year Google started to allow you to embed content and widgets from third parties into your Google Sites. One of the things that
Write Notes and Save Bookmarks to Sync With Google Docs & Slides
This morning I was browsing Product Hunt when I saw someone pitching a Chrome extension that promised to let you write notes while browsing the
Echoes of the Great War – Online WWI Exhibition
Echoes of the Great War is a fantastic collection of videos, audio recordings, and pictures about WWI. This online exhibition created by the Library of
13 Free Typing Games for Kids
TypeTastic is a service that currently offers thirteen free typing games. The games start with basic skills like identifying the letters on a keyboard and
A Great List of Tools for Making Cool Infographics
Cool Infographics is a book and a blog written by Randy Krum. I read his book a few years ago and came away with some
A Cool Kaizena Update
Back in January Kaizena released an update that streamlined the process of adding voice comments to Google Documents. This afternoon they announced an update to
Three Good Options for Building a Course Website
Twice this week I have had readers ask me for recommendations for platforms building course resource pages or full course course websites. Both readers were
FAQs About Tomorrow’s Video Projects Webinar
Tomorrow at 4pm Eastern Time I am hosting a webinar that is titled 5 Video Projects for Almost Every Classroom. As I write this, 25
Why I’ve Stopped Making My Public Google Docs Printable
In a word, theft. In the last couple of weeks I’ve published a handful of charts that compare the features of popular ed tech resources.
Dig CC Mixter – Find Music for Your Next Video Project
In this week’s tip of the week newsletter I featured sources of public domain and Creative Commons licensed videos. I’ve had a couple of people
How to Use Padlet’s New Broadcast Feature
Padlet has been on a roll with new updates over the last year. The latest feature added to Padlet makes it easier than ever to
12 Alternatives to Google Image Search – Comparison Chart
Unless they’re introduced to other options, Google Images tends to be the default image search tool for students and adults. Google Images is convenient, but
Three Free iPad Apps for Creating Animated Movies
Last night I answered an email from a reader who was looking for a free alternative to Tellagami. Tellagami hasn’t been updated to work with
Here’s the Way That I Recommend Using the Internet Archive
In last night’s Practical Ed Tech Tip of the Week newsletter I mentioned using the Internet Archive as a source of public domain video clips
Three Good Tools for Annotating Images Online
Annotating images can be a good activity for students to do illustrate their understanding of a process by adding information to a blank flowchart. Annotating
Timelinely – Annotate Videos With Text and Pictures
Timelinely is a new tool for annotating videos that are hosted on YouTube. I learned about Timelinely through one of Larry Ferlazzo’s recent blog posts.
1766 Free Lesson Plans for Art Teachers
My refrigerator is quickly getting covered with the art my toddler makes with her Crayola crayons and construction paper. Looking at one of her boxes
How Inventions Change History
This evening I was looking back at some resources that I have for teaching about Eli Whitney and the cotton gin. Included in that list
Quizzes, Syrup, and Public Domain Videos – The Week in Review
Good evening from Maine where the winter keeps on going. This week we had lots of new snow fall. As a skier, I love the
A Cup Stacking Typing Game
ABCya produces lots of games designed to help elementary school students sharpen their skills in a lot of areas. Included in ABCya’s catalog of games
Photos for Class Now Offers More Free Images for Students
Photos for Class is one of my favorite sites for students to use to find free images to use their projects. The most outstanding feature
5 Video Projects for Almost Every Classroom
Update: This webinar is now available on-demand. In this one hour webinar you will learn how to create and complete five video projects that can
Snap vs. Scratch
Yesterday, I shared a student-produced video from Next Vista for Learning. This morning I have a good example of a teacher-produced video found on Next
It’s Time to Change the Clocks – Here’s Why
It’s that time of year again when most of us in North America have to move our clocks forward by one hour. That’s right, Daylight
The Quote Sandwich – A Student Explains How to Use Quotes
Next Vista for Learning is a great place to find examples of students making videos to teach concepts to other students. Earlier this week I
The Library of Congress Seeks a Teacher-in-Residence
The Library of Congress has a great opportunity for a performing arts or visual arts teacher in the 2018-19 school year. The LOC is seeking
8 Changes to Google Docs & Slides Menus
If you’re a regular Google Docs and Google Slides user you may have already noticed some changes to your menus and toolbars. If you haven’t
How to Find Public Domain Videos on Flickr
Flickr is known for hosting millions of images, but it also hosts lots of videos. The advanced search tools within Flickr make it easy to
Three Places to Find Public Domain Video Clips
This afternoon I received an email from a reader who was trying to help one of her colleagues with a classroom video project. They wanted
Soon You’ll Have More Information About Who Views Your Google Docs
Version History, previously called Revision History, in Google Docs has always let you see when someone made a change to a document with him or
Use ViewPure to Share a Portion of a Video With Password Protection
Over the weekend I shared information about ViewPure’s curated playlists for teachers and students. Another feature of ViewPure that you should note is the option
Edublogs Publishes a Guide to Mobile Blogging
Edublogs, one of the two services that I recommend for classroom blogging, has published a free guide to blogging on mobile phones. Edublogs recently deprecated
The Services I Recommend for Classroom Blogging Today
I started blogging with students twelve years ago. I started this blog eleven years ago. Over that time I’ve seen a lot of new blogging
New Shared File Organization Coming to Google Drive
In an blog post published yesterday Google stated, “searching for content by owner is the most popular way to search for content in Drive today.”
Check Out My Redesigned G Suite for Teachers Course
Back in January I released my popular Getting Going With G Suite course in an on-demand version that I called G Suite for Teachers. Dozens
The Metamorphosis of Butterflies
My oldest daughter’s favorite book right now is The Very Hungry Caterpillar (she’s a toddler so this is subject to change in three minutes). That’s
The Microphones I Use for Video and Audio Recordings
After my recent posts about creating classroom podcasts I’ve answer a bunch of emails and Tweets from readers who were looking for suggestions on microphones
How to Include Podcast Episodes In Your Blog Posts
The folks at Edublogs were kind enough to share my list of ten classroom podcast ideas with participants in their Better Blogging With Students course
How to Add Voice Comments to PDFs and Word Documents
People who subscribe to the weekly Practical Ed Tech newsletter got this tip yesterday. But this is too good not to share with everyone. Kaizena,
My Top 5 Choices for Making Multimedia Quizzes
Over the years I have tried and written reviews of dozens of tools that teachers can use to create multimedia quizzes. But at the end
Quit Social Media – Do Deep Work
Last night I watched Dr. Cal Newport‘s TEDx Talk titled Quit Social Media. In this thought-provoking talk Dr. Newport presents the case for quitting social
Making Maple Syrup – A Science and Math Lesson
The days are getting warmer here in Maine, the sun is shining a bit longer each day, and the snow is starting to melt. That
ViewPure Now Offers Curated Playlists
ViewPure, a great tool for distraction-free YouTube viewing, has relatively new collections of videos for teachers. The collections are organized according to grade level and
Why I Created “From Blog to Job”
A couple of weeks ago I released an on-demand course called From Blog to Job – A Teacherpreneur Jumpstart. I’d like to tell you a
Puzzles, Rockets, and Podcasts – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where the rapidly shifting weather of March has arrived in full force. I helped my daughter learn to ride a bike
The Cat In That Hat Knows A Lot About That – Educational Activities Inspired By Dr. Seuss
Today is the birthday of Dr. Seuss. If he was alive he’d be turning 114. Here’s a set of fun, online activities that you could
This Is Why I Share Interesting Videos
I share interesting videos on this blog on a regular basis because I always found that a good, short video can be an good lead-in
5 Tools for Creating Multimedia Books – Comparison Chart
Developing a multimedia ebook or magazine can be a to get kids excited about writing. Incorporating pictures, videos, and audio can be a good way
The Ten Individual Author Blogs That I Read First
Earlier this week someone taking my From Blog to Job on-demand course asked me if I still use Feedly to subscribe to blogs and which
5 Audio Recording & Editing Tools – Feature Comparison Chart
A few years ago I put together a series of charts that provided quick overviews of the features of popular ed tech tools. Since then
7 Options for Creating Timelines Online – An Updated Comparison Chart
Making timelines is a go-to activity for many social studies teachers. When I made timelines as a student and in my first year or two
Flowers of North America
Project Noah is a globally collaborative project to which anyone can contribute. On Project Noah you can share pictures and stories of the plants and the
Squirrels!!! Why Are You Digging In My Lawn?
Along with the birds returning my yard, the squirrels and chipmunks are starting to dig around in my lawn. The same thing might be happening
The Role of Bird Migration in the Ecosystem
When I let my dogs out this morning I heard some birds chirping that I hadn’t heard in a few months. That’s a sure sign
Science and Games – The Month in Review
Good evening from Maine where the sun has set on the month of February. As I do at the end of every month I’ve compiled
Ten Ideas for Classroom Podcasts
On Sunday I published a video that shows how quickly and easily you can create a podcast on Anchor.fm. If you watched the video and
Aquation – A Game for Learning About Global Access to Clean Water
Aquation is a free game offered by the the Smithsonian Science Education Center. The game, designed for students in upper elementary school or middle school,
Why February is Shorter Than Every Other Month
Tomorrow is the last day of February. Some students may wonder why February is only 28 days while all other months are 30 or 31
Reshot – A New Source of Free Images for Multimedia Projects
Reshot is a new site that offers free “handpicked” images that you can download to reuse in multimedia projects. The site, like many like it,
How to Create a Podcast
Last week Anchor.fm launched a new and improved site that makes it easy for anyone to create and publish a podcast. I liked the redesigned
Solve Me Puzzles – Play or Create Math Puzzles
Solve Me Puzzles is a free site provided by the nonprofit Education Development Center. The site offers free math puzzles for students to play and
Truss Me – Design and Test Weight-bearing Structures
Truss Me is an app that students can use to design and test simple weight-bearing structures. Truss Me can be used in “challenge” mode or
Rocket Science 101 – Build and Launch Virtual Rockets
Update, January 2021: This app is no longer available. Rocket Science 101 is a free app offered by NASA that helps students understand how rockets work.
Everything I’ve Learned About Making Money Through Blogging Is In This Course
Over the years Free Technology for Teachers, Practical Ed Tech, and my other websites morphed from a hobby to a full-time job. Along the way
Ancient Rome 101 and Life as a Roman Teenager
National Geographic has a great series of YouTube videos called National Geographic 101. The most recent addition to that series is Ancient Rome 101. The
Ptable – Interactive Periodic Table of Elements
There are lots of websites offering interactive or dynamic periodic tables. One that has been around for many years now is Ptable. Ptable is an interactive display
My Top Six Sources of Public Domain Media
One of the questions that readers ask me on regular basis is, “where can I find images that my students can use in their projects?”
ClassPulse – Gather Feedback from Students
ClassPulse is a new entry into the crowded market of polling and messaging apps for schools. I learned about the app through Audrey Watters’ weekly
Science, Wikispaces, and Timelines – The Week in Review
Good morning from the almost completely renovated Free Technology for Teachers World Headquarters in Paris, Maine. If you have followed my week-in-review posts since last
How to Find and Install PowerPoint Add-ins
In the last couple of months I’ve featured a handful of Google Slides Add-ons that provide additional features for your Google Slides account. PowerPoint users
ClassTag Adds New Ways to Communicate With Parents
ClassTag is a free service for communicating with parents about what’s going on in your classroom. ClassTag lets you send email, push, and SMS/text announcements
Common Craft Explains Flipped Classrooms
The flipped classroom concept, in the right setting, can be an effective way to maximize classroom time. Perhaps you’ve tried it yourself and have been
The Chemistry of Contrails
Earlier this week I was ice fishing on a lake in northern Maine that just happens to be under the flight path of many airplanes
Front Row Introduces New ELA Practice Activities
Front Row is an excellent service that provides differentiated reading materials and practice exercises in K-12 classrooms. Front Row offers articles and exercises on topics
Anchor 3.0 Provides an Easy Way to Create Podcasts
Anchor is a free service for creating podcasts on your phone or on your laptop. When the service started it was just a simple app
How to Schedule Blog Posts
Posting on a consistent schedule is one of the keys to maintaining interest in any blog. One of the best ways to maintain a consistent
How to Use Google Sheets to Create a Bingo Board With Pictures
A couple of weeks ago I shared the news that Flippity’s Bingo board template now lets you include pictures in your boards. I’ve had a