Fresh Takes 4 Teachers
Kaizena – Streamlined Voice Commenting in Google Docs
Kaizena is a free Google Docs Add-on that makes it easy to add voice comments to your documents and to the documents that students share
Geometry at Mount Rushmore – A Math Lesson
CyArk is an organization building an online library of 3D models of the world’s cultural heritage sites. Mount Rushmore is one of the places that CyArk
Math, Social Studies, and Diagrams – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where a cold bug has hit our house. I tried to fight it, but this morning I have to admit that
Create Animations With ABCya Animate
ABCya Animate is a fun tool from ABCya that enables students to create animated GIFs containing up to 100 frames. On ABCya Animate students build their
My Unprofessional Videos
If you follow my YouTube channel or even if you just watch the videos that I put into blog posts here, you’ll notice a significant
How to Make an Interactive Diagram in PowerPoint
A couple of days ago I published a video that demonstrated how to create an interactive diagram in Google Slides. This morning I received an
How to Create & Send Screencasts from Your Inbox
On Thursday morning I featured Loom 2.0 which offers a convenient way to create screencasts on a Chromebook, Mac, or Windows computer. One of the
Sundials and Snowflakes – How to Make Your Own
SciShow Kids recently published a new video that explains to students how a sundial works and how they can make their own sundials. The video
Remodeling Practical Ed Tech
As you may know, I addition to this blog I maintain PracticalEdTech.com where I host professional development courses for teachers. That site had tremendous growth
Citations and Citing Your Work – New Common Craft Video
What needs to be cited and what doesn’t need to be cited in a paper is a question that has confounded many students over the
Loom 2.0 – Create and Edit Screencasts
Loom is a free screencasting tool that works in the Chrome web browser. In addition to using it on a Chromebook, you can use Loom
Simple Tips for Learning From PD Webinars
I love webinars. They’re a convenient way to learn from experts that I otherwise wouldn’t get to interact with. But not everyone enjoys them like
Science Friday – Audio Science Lessons
Science Friday is a weekly podcast (hosted on Sound Cloud) that features science stories spanning a wide array of topics, but most topics that are
How to Create an Interactive Diagram in Google Slides
Google Slides has a lot of capabilities that often go overlooked. One of those capabilities is the option to link slides so that viewers don’t
Taking Notes on a Touchscreen – Three Options Compared
iPads, Android tablets, and touchscreen laptops that fold flat make it easy for those who prefer to handwrite their notes to preserve those notes in
10 Free Apps for Elementary School Math Lessons
Math Learning Center offers ten free apps that are designed for teaching elementary school mathematics lessons. All of the apps are available in versions as
MySimpleShow Offers a New Service for Classrooms
MySimpleShow is a great tool for creating explanatory videos. The service features artwork to drag and drop in individual story frames, background music, and automated
300+ Free Economics Lessons, Videos, and Educational Games
Econ Ed Link hosts hundreds of lesson plans and interactive games for teaching students about a wide range of topics in economics. Teachers can search the
Project Feeder Watch – Contribute to Tracking Bird Migrations
Project Feeder Watch is a public project administered by the Cornell Ornithology Lab and Bird Studies Canada. Project Feeder Watch collects data from backyard bird observers across the United
USGS Multimedia Gallery – Excellent Public Domain Images and Videos
Today, I want to make sure that you’re aware of some other great materials available through the USGS Multimedia Gallery. The USGS Multimedia Gallery contains large collections of
5 Ways to Use Comics in Social Studies Lessons
Creating cartoons and comic strips can be a fun way for students to show their understanding of events and concepts. For the student who is
X Degrees of Separation – The Connections Between Artworks
The big news over the last few days about Google’s Arts & Culture app has focused on people using the app to find their doppelgangers
Virtual Tours of Ancient and Modern Greece
Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Expeditions all provide good ways for students to see the sites of Greece. But if you would like your
Midterm Elections – 5 Things You Should Know
2018 is a midterm election year in the United States. What’s that mean? In short, it is the Congressional elections that happen in the middle
W3Schools – Your HTML Reference
W3Schools is my go-to reference for all questions regarding how to write any aspect of HTML code. In fact, when I was recently asked a
Music, Doodles, and Forms – The Week in Review
Good evening from Maine where I am getting ready to watch the Patriots play their first playoff game on their way to the Super Bowl.
Eight Lessons in Teaching History With Technology
A couple of month ago I launched an on-demand version of my popular Teaching History With Technology course. So far more than 50 people have
5 Add-ons I’m Utilizing More Often in 2018
Add-ons can provide a lot of additional functionality to Google Forms, Sheets, Slides, and Docs. In some cases using the right Add-on can save you
Twitter Moments – One Storify Alternative
Earlier this week someone emailed me looking for an alternative to Storify which is shutting down and no longer accepting submissions. Moving forward, one way
10 Good Resources for Math Teachers and Students
One of the things that I wish that I had done when started this blog was to build pages like Larry Ferlazzo’s “Best Resources for
What a Lobster Can Teach You About Fake News
Some of you may recall that just before Christmas an ESPN radio show fell for a fake news story about a high school basketball game
300+ Comments Prove What We Already Knew About 1:1 Program Choices
Last Friday I posted a little survey on the Free Technology for Teachers Facebook page. The survey question was, “if you were given an unlimited budget,
This Add-on Makes It Easy to Create Photo Slideshows
Photo Slideshow is a free Add-on that makes it quick and easy to import an entire Google Photos or Google Drive folder into Google Slides.
5 Ed Tech Tools Social Studies Teachers Should Try This Year
On a regular basis I receive emails from teachers that go something like this, “we recently got new (insert hardware here) for our students and
7 Ways for Students to Use Google Drawings
Google Drawings is an often overlooked, yet useful tool that students can access within their G Suite for Education accounts. As I shared in one
Google Calendar Is Changing – It’s Nothing to Worry About
As I wrote last week, Google Calendar is changing soon whether you like it or not. By the end of February all users will be
10,000 People Get Their Ed Tech Tips This Way
A few years back I decided to try to include more screencast videos in my blog posts. Initially, I hosted the videos on Vimeo and
Use TimelineJS for Writing and Research
This is a guest post from Beth Holland, Doctoral Candidate at Johns Hopkins School of Education Last week, I found myself a bit flummoxed with my
Use Google Drawings as an Alternative to Thinglink
Thinglink recently made some changes to their free plans that further limited access for students. Because of those changes, a few days ago I received
Videos and Google Earth File for Learning About Glaciers
SciShow Kids recently published a new video that explains to children how glaciers are formed and how they change over time. SciShow Kids is intended
Getting Out of Your Ed Tech Rut
For the last seven weeks I’ve been making it a point to try out the features of Microsoft’s offerings for teachers and students. See yesterday’s
Search Within a Folder in Google Drive
A convenient update to Google Drive was released yesterday afternoon. You can now search within a folder in your Google Drive account. You can do
Three Things I Like About Microsoft Forms
I’ve been a devoted user of Google Docs, Forms, and all things G Suite for more than a decade. I’ve helped thousands of teachers get
What is a Red Herring? – And Other Lessons on Critical Thinking
In today’s age of clickbait headlines and increasingly polarized news reporting, it is more important than ever to teach students to be critical thinkers. One
How to Quickly Copy Questions from One Google Form to Another
formRecycler is a free Google Forms Add-on that I wrote about in a blog post yesterday morning. If you haven’t seen it yet, formRecycler is
New Workshops and Keynotes for 2018
Facilitating on-site workshops and giving keynotes at conferences is one of the ways that I am able to fund Free Technology for Teachers and, in turn,
Space Camp Scholarships
The Mars Generation Space Camp Scholarship is a great opportunity for U.S. high school students to receive an all-expenses paid trip to space camp in
Doodle 4 Google is Back for 2018
Google’s annual drawing contest is back again for 2018. This year’s Doodle 4 Google theme is inspiration. The contest is open to students in grades
Tutorials on Organizing OneNote
To most outside observers my notebooks, both digital and physical, are a hot mess. That’s because I rarely employ tags, folders, or any of the
The 2018 Practical Ed Tech Coaching Group Begins Tomorrow
The 2018 Practical Ed Tech Coaching Group kicks off tomorrow afternoon (4pm Eastern Time). It would be great to have you join us. This small
formRecycler – Easy Reuse of Google Forms Questions
formRecycler is a free Google Forms Add-on that makes it easy to reuse questions from one Google Form into another form. When you have the
Fire Forensics: Claims and Evidence – A Detailed Lesson in Forensic Science
Fire Forensics: Claims and Evidence is a detailed, interactive lesson in the forensics of fire investigations. The free module is part of Xplorlabs produced by
Three Classic Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2018
Over the last decade I’ve reviewed thousands of free educational technology tools. Some have been a hit, some haven’t, and some have stood the test
g(Math) Has Been Deleted – Try These Three Alternatives
For years g(Math) was one of my most frequently recommended Add-ons for Google Forms, Docs, and Sheets. Last week it was shut down by its
Free Music to Use In Google Slides Presentations
Earlier this week I published directions for how to add music to your Google Slides presentations. In those directions I mentioned that in order to
Certificates, Rocks, and Wicked Cold – The Week in Review
Good morning from Paris Hill, Maine where wind chill is currently -27F and it’s only going to get colder as the sun comes up and
Have You Listened to the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast?
I don’t listen to many podcasts because many of them feel like the hosts are just talking to fill time. But the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast
A Short Overview of Immersive Reader from Microsoft
Immersive Reader is a free tool available from Microsoft. As I wrote earlier this week, Immersive Reader will read aloud the articles that students have
18 Tools for Making Videos on Chromebooks
In the first years of Chromebooks the options for making videos were rather limited. Today, while there still aren’t as many options as there are
How Is Wind Chill Calculated?
Here in Maine it snowed all day yesterday. I like the snow. What I don’t like is the bitter wind that follows the day after
Google Calendar is Changing Whether You Like It or Not
Back in October Google announced a new user interface for Google Calendar. Many folks who use consumer Gmail accounts to access Google Calendar are already
The First Six Webinars for the Practical Ed Tech Coaching Group
The first meeting of the 2018 Practical Ed Tech Coaching Group is next Tuesday. Another member joined last night and another person inquired with a
Can I Use Canva With Students Under 13? – Yes, But Read This
Canva is a fantastic service for creating all kinds of graphics. Over the years I have featured many ways to use it in your classroom.
Three Options for Hosting Snow Day Study Sessions
Batten down the hatches! We’ve got a big storm about to hit the northeastern part of the United States. When I went to bed last
Thinking of Starting a Blog in 2018? – Here Are My Recommendations
Are you thinking about starting a blog in 2018? If you are, here are my recommendations based on more than a decade of daily blogging.
Free Timer Templates for PowerPoint Presentations
Over the years I have featured a lot of free countdown timers that you can use in your classroom. At the beginning of the 2017-18
A Permission Slip Template for G Suite Use
About a week ago I had an interesting conversation on my Facebook page with a teacher who was looking for help convincing her administration to
How to Add Audio to Google Slides
AudioPlayer for Google Slides is a free Add-on that will let you add music to the background of a presentation created with Google Slides. The
A Canva Graphic Design Option I’ve Overlooked For Years!
Canva is a free graphic design tool that I have been using for years. I even aided the Canva team in the development of their
Immersive Reader – A Fantastic Addition to OneNote
For the last six weeks I have been making a concerted effort to increase my working knowledge of OneNote in order to be able to
Join the 2018 Practical Ed Tech Coaching Group This Week
The 2018 Practical Ed Tech Coaching Group is having its first webinar one week from today. There is still time to join. You can register
5 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2018
Earlier today I went on live on my YouTube channel to share five ed tech tools that I recommend trying in 2018 if you didn’t
12 Free Lessons About Rocks, Minerals, and Landforms
Scholastic has a nice resource called StudyJams that contains short videos, slideshows, and quizzes about a variety of topics commonly taught in elementary school classrooms.
How to Automatically Filter Words From YouTube Comments
YouTube can be a great place to share your instructional videos with your students and the world at large. Every video that you upload to
Automatically Issue Certificates When Students Pass a Quiz in Google Forms
Google Forms provides a great way to create online, self-grading quizzes. When you have students who cannot wait to get their scores back, enabling the
Add Audio to Google Slides With This Add-on
One of the things that almost every new Google Slides user wants to know the answer to is, “how can I add music to my
An Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions
It’s the first day of 2018 (second day for some of you) and the time when many of us create goals and make resolutions for
How to Maintain a Blog in 2018
As the new year begins you might have set a goal for yourself to blog more consistently than you did last year. Or perhaps your
Don’t Tell People About Your New Year’s Resolution
Happy New Year! I hope that 2018 is a great year for you and that you accomplish all of the goals that you set for
How to Use Flipgrid – A 2017 Favorite
For the last five days I have featured the most popular posts of 2017. On this last day of the year, I’m going to highlight
Zero Noise Classroom – A 2017 Favorite
For the last five days I have featured the most popular posts of 2017. On this last day of the year, I’m going to highlight
Toontastic 3D – A 2017 Favorite
For the last five days I have featured the most popular posts of 2017. On this last day of the year, I’m going to highlight
Try This Fun, Free AR App for Outdoor Lessons – A 2017 Favorite
For the last five days I have featured the most popular posts of 2017. On this last day of the year, I’m going to highlight
Goals, Wishes, and Cold – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where we’re experiencing a stretch of cold days that hasn’t been seen since the 1970’s. How cold is it? Earlier this
Grids, Timelines, and Notes in Google Slides – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
One Day Left to Save 30% on Two Practical Ed Tech Courses
Providing online professional development courses is one of the ways that I am able to fund Free Technology for Teachers. I offer those courses through
Ten Things You Can Do With Google Forms – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
A Fun Geography Game for All – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
Copyright Lessons for Students and Teachers – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
Resources for Teaching Digital Citizenship – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
The Periodic Table in Pictures and Words – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
Make Stop Motion Videos on Your Chromebook – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
Six Types of Classroom Video Projects – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
7 Ways to Use Google Keep in Your Classroom – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
10 Ways to Use Google Earth in Your Classroom – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
33 Lessons on Critical Thinking – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
How to Create Appointment Slots in Google Calendar – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this
Social Studies Teachers, This Is For You!
Back in November I released my popular Teaching History With Technology course in an on-demand format. It has proven to be a popular format as
Create Your Own Google Classroom – Best of 2017
As I do during this week every year, I am taking some time off to relax and prepare for the new year. Every day this