EconEdLink’s Most Popular Economics Games of the Year
Over the years I’ve referenced hundreds of EconEdLink’s resources for teachers. That’s because EconEdLink is a great resource for any teacher who needs ideas, lesson plans, games, and other resources for teaching economics lessons. On the site you’ll find resources for everything from teaching basic personal finance lessons to elementary students through resources for teaching […]
Common Craft Explains Research Papers to Students
I often use Common Craft videos as an example of creating effective video lessons without having to spend a lot of money on special equipment or software. In fact, I did that in a webinar that I hosted yesterday. The video that I used as an example was Research Papers Explained by Common Craft. Research […]
A Teacher’s Guide to Creating Common Craft Style Videos
Yesterday, I published a post about a live course that I’m teaching in June. If you’re looking for something that is self-paced, Common Craft offers an interesting course about making videos. For years Common Craft videos have been used by teachers to help students understand topics including digital citizenship, personal finance, and many big technology concepts. One […]
A Few Good Resources for Learning How Blockchain Works
For the last year or so whenever I watch a sporting event on television there are advertisements for cryptocurrency exchanges. It has even pervaded niche sports like professional cycling (here’s one story about a particularly dodgy instance in cycling). Last year one of my students even set out to try to mine Bitcoin. Another of […]
Coming This Sunday Evening
Last Sunday evening the subscribers to my Practical Ed Tech Newsletter got copies of the 2021-22 version of The Practical Ed Tech Handbook before anyone else. This Sunday I have two more resources that will only be available through my newsletter. Those resources are colorful poster-style PDFs of email etiquette reminders for students. If you’re […]
Blockchain – From the Basics to Advanced – A Free Course
Turn on CNBC or any business/ financial news channel today and you’re likely to hear about Bitcoin. Blockchain is the technology behind Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies. If you’re not familiar with how blockchain works or you’re looking for a simple explanation to share with your students, Common Craft has you covered. Blockchain Explained by Common […]
Some of my Favorites – DIY Common Craft Videos
This week is school vacation week here in Maine. I usually take this week off to go ice fishing on Moosehead Lake. Unfortunately, that’s not happening this year. Instead I’ll be “staycationing” and working on some projects around home. While on my staycation I’ll be sharing some of my personal favorite tools and tips. Nearly […]
Three Silent Videos About COVID-19
One of my students came ranting into class today because of a conversation she’d had with another student about facemasks and social distancing. The person she was talking with didn’t think that social distancing did anything. “Mr. Byrne, how else can I explain it to her?” was the question that my student had for me. […]
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 a disinformation campaign is and why organizations create them. Equally importantly, the video explains traits of disinformation campaigns and how to people can try to prevent the spread of disinformation. […]
Historical Scene Investigations – A Great Way to Get Students to Use Primary Sources
Historical Scene Investigation is one of my favorite resources for U.S. History teachers and students. I’ve used it and referred people to it for years. HSI presents students with historical cases to “crack” through the use of evidence found in the form of primary source documents. Historical Scene Investigation contains thirteen cases in which students […]
Four Free Webinars to Check Out This Week
As we head into summer many of us start to reflect on the last school year (it was one we’ll never forget) and what we want to incorporate into the next school year. If you’re looking for some new ideas to incorporate into your practice, consider attending one of the following free webinars this week. […]
Facts v. Opinions – A New Common Craft Lesson
Now more than ever our students are getting bombarded with information and opinions in all forms of media. Therefore, it’s more important than ever that we help them recognize the differences between facts and opinions. Common Craft recently released a new video that can help students understand the differences between facts and opinions. Facts and […]
Free Course – A Teacher’s Guide to Creating Common Craft Style Videos
For more than a dozen years Common Craft videos have been used by teachers to help students understand topics including digital citizenship, personal finance, and many big technology concepts. One of the things that makes Common Craft videos popular is the clear and concise manner in which information is presented using a whiteboard, simple cutouts, […]
Local vs. Online Documents
I’ve been a Google Docs user longer than most middle schoolers have been alive. I don’t need convincing that online documents are great. But not everyone is convinced. In fact, just last week I had a conversation with a teacher in my school who wasn’t convinced that there could be any benefit to moving away […]
A Few Good Reminders for Safer Internet Day
Today is Safer Internet Day. As Google is reminding people when who visit Google.com today, it’s a good day to perform a little check-up on your account security. That means making sure you’re using strong passwords, not re-using passwords on multiple sites, and using two-factor authentication whenever it is offered. One of the best things […]
Algorithms Explained by Common Craft
This week in my ninth grade computer science principles class we started talking about big data and algorithms. One of the resources that I used in introducing this topic was Common Craft’s explanation of algorithms. The two and a half minute video explains what an algorithm is and the roles that algorithms can play in […]
Book Review Videos Made in the Common Craft Style
Years ago I came across a video in which someone reviewed The Art of Explanation by making a video in the Common Craft style. The Art of Explanation is a book that was written by Lee LeFever who is the voice behind all of the Common Craft videos. The producer of the video, Bruce Herwig, wrote a blog […]
Common Craft Explains Incognito or Private Browser Windows
Common Craft has been producing unique explanatory videos for more than a decade. I’ve been using them in my classroom and workshops for nearly as long. Common Craft videos provide clear and concise explanations of nuanced topics ranging from the Electoral College to copyright to digital citizenship. Their latest video explains incognito or “private” mode […]
The Cost of Owning a Car – Free Lesson Plan
The cover image on my personal Facebook page is currently a picture of my first car. I’m pretty sure I paid $1500 for it which was a hefty sum for me back in the fall of 1996. That car needed a little bit of brake work to pass the state’s safety inspection and then needed […]
Common Craft Explains How to Craft Clear Email Communication
Love it or hate it, email is a part of our daily work lives. And for our students of middle school age or older it’s a part of their daily lives too. If you’re like me, the emails that you reply to the fastest are the shortest emails that get right to the point. Brevity […]
Common Craft Explains URLs
We enter URLs into our web browsers every day, but have you ever wondered what all the parts of those URLs mean? The URL can give us information about the type of website we’re visiting, the security of the site, when a page was created, and much more. What’s in a URL is the topic […]
5 Ways for Students of All Ages to Make Animated Videos
Making animated videos is a great way for students to bring their written stories to life on screen. Those could be fiction or nonfiction stories. Some nonfiction animated video topics include making a video to illustrate a historical event, making biographies, and explaining complex concepts in simple animations like Common Craft does. In the fiction […]
What is RSS? How Can You Use It?
This is the last thing that I’m going to publish about this ridiculous copyright infringement debacle I’ve been dealing with for a week. But as I said earlier today, I am going to try to make the best of it by sharing some pertinent and related resources about copyright. The owner of the site that […]
A Guide to Blogging Terminology
In my previous post I shared some information about the upcoming Edublogs Student Blogging Challenge. If you’re new to blogging or it has been a long time since you did any blogging, it can be helpful to have a glossary of terms that are frequently used when writing and talking about blogging. That’s why I […]
Try These 6 Things When a Website Doesn’t Work as Expected
In the last week I’ve fielded a half-dozen emails from readers who were experiencing problems with web tools not working as they expected. This seems like a good time to revisit six things that you should check when a website doesn’t work as you expected it to work. 1. Is your browser updated? This isn’t […]
Common Craft Explains Podcasting
The development of easy-to-use podcast production tools like Anchor and Synth have contributed to the proliferation of podcasts in the last few years. The ways that we can find and listen to podcasts has also increased substantially in the last few years. That’s why Common Craft has released a new version of their popular video, […]
Terrible Passwords, Password Security, and Protecting Your Online Account
Last week Splash Data revealed their annual list of worst passwords of the year. Many of those passwords will not be a surprise. Using “123456” and common words or names as your password is always a terrible idea. We all know that it is a terrible idea yet we all know someone who uses terrible […]
Free Webinar – How to Make Your Own Common Craft-style Videos
If you have followed this blog for more than a few weeks, you’ve probably seen me make references to Common Craft videos. More than ten years ago Common Craft pioneered a unique style of online video that has since been imitated, but never quite duplicated by others. That style uses paper cut-outs on blank white […]
Two Good Video Explanations of Fair Use
Less than an hour after I posted this chart of alternatives to Google Image search I had two emails and one Facebook message with questions about fair use. One asked about music, the others asked about exceptions to copyright. But really all three messages were essentially asking the same theme of “what about fair use?” […]
The Curse of Knowledge
Earlier this week I shared the 101st explanatory video published by Common Craft. More than a decade ago Common Craft pioneered using simple paper cutouts to tell stories and explain difficult concepts in videos. Six years ago Lee LeFever, the founder of Common Craft, published The Art of Explanation. It’s a great book containing concepts that […]
Common Craft Releases Its 101st Explainer Video
This week Common Craft published their 101st explainer video. The latest video is about understanding terms of service agreements on websites and apps. Like nearly all Common Craft videos Terms of Service Agreements begins with an analog example before transitioning to the digital application of that example. In this case the analog example is signing […]
Good Reminders About Password Security
The mot recent Facebook hoax making its rounds has prompted me to remind everyone about the importance of using strong and varied passwords (don’t use the same password for Facebook as you do for your bank account). Creating a strong password is a just the first step in protecting your email and social media accounts […]
Great Tips & Reminders for Securing Your Mobile Phone
Many students use their smartphones more often than their laptops to browse the web, shop, and access important files. That’s why we need to teach students to protect their mobile phones with the same level diligence used to protect their laptops. Common Craft recently published a good video about mobile phone safety and security. The […]
Free Webinar – How to Create DIY Explainer Videos
A decade ago Common Craft introduced the world to a new style of explanatory videos. That style which came to known as the Common Craft Style consisted of Lee LeFever narrating a video while displaying simple paper cutouts on a blank white background. Since then teachers and students all over the world have made their […]
Common Craft Offers a Great Guide to Understanding the World Cup
Like many Americans, I don’t really understand soccer so when the World Cup rolls around every four years I have to refresh my memory about the game. Fortunately for me, as they did four years ago, Common Craft has released an updated guide to understanding the World Cup. Common Craft’s Soccer Guide was made for […]
New Common Craft Video – Digital Footprints Explained
As adults we know that everything we do online is a part of our digital footprints. Even those things that you post on your “private” Facebook or Instagram account are public because they’re just a screenshot away from being shared outside of your private circle. This is a lesson that every student should learn without […]
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 webinar Lee will show how their process from start to finish. Register here to join the free webinar. In other Common Craft news, they released a new video this week. […]
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 paper cutouts and flat white backgrounds, have helped millions of people understand topics like RSS, copyright, cyberbullying, and much more. In fact, their style has come to be known as […]
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 looking for a way to explain it to parents or colleagues. Common Craft recently released a good video that could help you do just that. Flipped Classroom Explained by Common […]
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 years. Common Craft has a new video that addresses that question and more. Citations and Citing Your Work teaches students about the differences between in-text and full citations and how […]
Online Basics – Three New Videos from Common Craft
For those of us who use social media on a daily basis and who do most of our shopping online, it can be easy to falsely assume that everyone else is equally comfortable online. That’s why I was happy to see Common Craft’s new videos about online basics. Common Craft’s new online basics series contains […]
Copyright Lessons for Students and Teachers
As many of you know, I spent much of my week dealing with a copyright infringement issue. As a result of that I have been doing more reading about DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) than ever before. One piece that I read was this article from attorney Sarah F. Hawkins. The article didn’t have much […]
A Guide to Creating Explanatory Animated GIFs
In yesterday’s episode of Practical Ed Tech Live I answered this question: Is there anything that pieces the snapshots back together in a single frame? So you see the same object in one picture at different positions? My suggestion was to create an animated GIF by following the guide that Common Craft published a couple […]
Quickly Print a Storyboard Template from Google Slides
Earlier this week I watched a webinar that was hosted by Lee LeFever from Common Craft. You probably know Lee and his wife Sachi’s work from videos like Google Docs in Plain English and Wikis in Plain English. In the webinar Lee explained the process that he and Sachi use to create their videos. One […]
Three Good Places to Find Public Domain Images
My earlier post about Common Craft’s new video prompted a few people to ask me for recommendations for places to find public domain images and videos. Here are the three places that I go to when I need public domain images. Pixabay hosts high quality public domain images. You can search on Pixabay by using keywords […]
Public Domain Explained by Common Craft
Public Domain Explained by Common Craft is a new video that answers some common questions about the differences between works that are in the public domain and those that are copyrighted. The video also teaches how works end up in the public domain and some tips for finding media that is in the public domain. […]
Free Webinar – Behind the Scenes at Common Craft
Common Craft burst onto the explainer video scene way back in 2007 with RSS in Plain English. That video demonstrated a new way for students and professionals to create effective and engaging explanatory videos. In the ten years since RSS in Plain English hit the web, many teachers, students, and creative professionals have created their […]
A Concise Explanation of Augmented Reality
On Friday I shared a post about an augmented reality app from PBS Kids. That app lets students take pictures of animated characters in outdoor settings. That post prompted a question from a reader who wanted an explanation of augmented reality. My recommendation was to take a look at Common Craft’s video on the topic. […]
Cyberbullying Explained by Common Craft
Lee and Sachi at Common Craft have released a new video that tackles a topic that every student, teacher, and parent should understand; cyberbullying. By watching Cyberbullying Explained by Common Craft viewers can learn how what cyberbullying is, how it happens, and the actions that students and adults can take to stop cyberbullying. Applications for […]
Protecting Online Accounts With Strong Passwords – Video
Creating a strong password is a good first step to protecting your email and social media accounts from being hacked. But that’s just the first step. To really protect your account there are some additional steps you should take like using two-factor authentication. In the following video Common Craft explains how to protect your online […]
Piracy Online Explained by Common Craft
Piracy Online is the most recent addition to Common Craft’s library of excellent explanatory videos. The video teaches viewers what online piracy is, how it violates copyright laws, and how online piracy impacts artists, software developers, and consumers. Applications for Education Understanding why using pirated music, videos, and software is illegal is part of helping […]
How to Create Strong Passwords
When was the last time you changed your email password, your Facebook password, or your online banking password? Hopefully, you’re not using the same password for all of your accounts. If it has been a while since you changed your passwords, think about doing so as part of digital spring cleaning. The videos below provide […]
Identity Theft and How to Prevent It – A New Common Craft Video
Not every attempt at identity theft is as obvious as the Nigerian Prince scam. Attempts at identity theft come in the forms of emails that look like they might be from your bank and phone calls from people asking you to give away “confirm” your account information. I once had someone attempt to get me […]
Creative Commons Explained In Simple Terms
Whenever I give a presentation or run a workshop about student video projects, I spend time explaining what Creative Commons licensing is and its benefits for consumers and producers of media. Sometimes in my workshops I use Common Craft’s explanation of Creative Commons licenses and what they mean for consumers and producers of media. I’ve […]
A Clear Explanation of Gamification
Gamification is one of the trendy words in education right now. In most education conference programs I find at least a couple of workshops or presentations about gamification. You’ve probably seen those too. What is gamification? Common Craft’s latest video explains gamification in clear and concise terms. Gamification is something that I had to experience […]
MySimpleShow Adds a Convenient New Way to Create Flipped Video Lessons
MySimpleShow is a great tool for creating explanatory videos. I’ve been raving about it since I first tried during the summer. It has also been a hit in many of my workshops. The thing that I, and many others, love about MySimpleShow is that students have to create a script in order to produce a […]
Try My Simpleshow for Creating Explanatory Videos
My Simpleshow is a free tool for creating Common Craft style explanatory videos. The best aspect of My Simpleshow is the emphasis that the developers have placed on storyline planing and development. As is demonstrated in my tutorial below, students have to write a script on My Simpleshow before they can begin to use the video editing tools. […]
IP Addresses Explained by Common Craft
You may have heard the techie people in your life use the term “IP address” while explaining a problem regarding your computer connecting to the Internet. And if you’re like a lot of people who don’t work in networking, you probably wondered what the heck an IP address is and why it matters. Common Craft, […]
Searching the Deep Web as Explained by Common Craft
When students conduct research on a public search engine like Google or Bing they are only scratching the surface of what could be found on the Internet. The rest of what students could find is in what’s often called the “deep web” or the “hidden web.” The latest addition to the Common Craft library explains […]
My SimpleShow Offers a Good Way to Create Explanatory Videos
My Simpleshow is a free tool for creating Common Craft style explanatory videos. The best aspect of My Simpleshow is the emphasis that the developers have placed on storyline planing and development. My Simpleshow requires you to write a script for your video before you can start adding illustrations and sounds to it. In My […]
Open Source Software Explained by @CommonCraft
Open source software powers many of things that we see and do on the Internet and on our computers every day. In fact, if you’re reading this on an Android device right now, you can thank the people who have contributed to the open source code making that happen. What is open source software? How […]
Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality Explained by Common Craft
Bit by bit artificial intelligence (AI) is working its way into our lives. If you have seen IBM’s Watson in action, you’ve seen AI at work. Some of the seating chart programs available online today include a small bit of artificial intelligence. See ClassCharts.com for an example of that. But what is AI? And where is […]
Presentation Planning Explained by Common Craft
Planning a presentation of any length can feel like a daunting task. For some people the difficulty is in figuring out what to say. For others the trouble is thinking about standing in front of an audience. Either way, having a solid plan for your presentation can make things easier. In their latest video, Presentation […]