Thursday, March 6, 2014

My Top 10 "Go To" Ed Tools (and why . . .)

Today, I'm posting a list of my Top 10 ed tools and why they have become some of my favorites.  I don't get paid by any of these companies, I promise.  I just really, really see value in these tools. Do you have a favorite site or tool that's not listed?  I would love to know so add them in the comments, please!

10.  Blendspace- When I was in the classroom I would have loved to have known about Blendspace.  After studying a long unit over the Progressive Era, let's say, it would have been nice to have one place where all notes and activities could have been stored for easy student access.

9. Study Boost- What a great idea!  Students can study through text messaging?!  Set up your review questions then share them with your students.  Students receive text(s), students read text(s), students are studying!  Genius!

8. sascurriculumpathways- A long time favorite of mine, SAS houses interactive lessons in all core subject areas plus Spanish.  With built in practice assignments and quizzes that grade themselves, classrooms ranging from grade 6-12 can definitely benefit from this site.  Oh!  And they have a mobile app now, too (SAS Flash Cards) that reaches all grade levels, K-12.

7. NoRedInk- For all the grammar teachers out there, this is it!  Set up your classes, let the students practice, let the site grade their work, then track their progress.  Your students will surely find an interest in grammar since the site caters to the students' interests.  Definitely worth a look!

6. Google Earth- Let your students see the world!  Take them to the Kalahari Desert or walk through the streets of Cape Town.  Google Earth is an amazing tool that brings the world to your classroom.

5. Google Cultural Institute- Your students will become worldly after visiting this site.  Explore world cultures, historical events, museums, and more.

4. Infuse Learning- This formative assessment tool has an abundance of question types for you to better assess your students' comprehension level.  Built in grading feature allows for quick feedback for your students.

3. Curriculet- Curriculet (formerly Gobstopper) is an amazing tool for providing a digital reading experience for your students.  Curriculet is continually improving this tool.  Now, in addition to choosing from an array of readings from their library, you have the ability to upload your own files.  Create your own "curriculets" (interactive lessons that go along with the reading) to track the progress of your students or use those that have been built by other educators.  It's really an amazing site.  They've even added books for foreign languages.

2. Google Drive-  Well, of course I couldn't leave out Google Drive.  Documents, drawings, presentations, sheets, forms, and more . . . all of which can be shared with others.

1. Twitter and Google+ - These two go hand in hand for me.  Without these tools, I wouldn't have ever known about the others I've listed.

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